‘Christmas storm’ highly expected following great solar flare
Date
12/26/2024 7:47:27 AM
(MENAFN) A solar flare from the Sun is expected to bring stunning auroras to the northern hemisphere on Wednesday, as it triggers a mild geomagnetic storm. Russian scientists say the coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun, which followed a two-week period of calm, occurred on Monday with a magnitude of 8.9—a class-M flare. It originated from sunspot group 3932, which is aligned with Earth for the next several days.
Mikhail Leus of the 'Phobos' weather center in Moscow stated that part of the CME might graze Earth on the afternoon of December 25, leading to a potential G1 or G2 level magnetic storm. Though the flare was angled 40 degrees from the Earth-Sun line, which suggests a mild storm, the event could last anywhere from 8 to 30 hours.
In addition to vibrant northern lights visible in regions of the northern hemisphere, the solar storm may cause radio disruptions in the high-frequency band and affect satellite operations. It also poses a risk of radiation to astronauts and high-altitude airplane passengers.
A similar flare in October resulted in a G4-level geomagnetic storm, which caused power grid concerns but had minimal impact on technology. However, it did bring the auroras as far south as California.
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