Yesterday, October 30, Earth experienced a solar storm when high-speed solar winds hit our planet. A NASA SDO image reveals where it came from.
On October 28, we received the initial warning of an approaching solar storm that was set to impact Earth within a couple of days. The event occurred on October 30, but to our surprise, it did not involve a coronal mass ejection (CME). Instead, a significant opening in the Sun’s surface allowed for the release of swift solar winds. These fast-moving solar winds reached Earth on October 30, resulting in a G1-class solar storm. The NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory captured images of the opening from which the solar winds emanated.
As reported by SpaceWeather, “As anticipated, a rapid stream of solar wind is currently encircling Earth on October 30th. This gaseous material is originating from a hole in the sun’s equatorial atmosphere. Observers in the Arctic region should remain vigilant for auroras visible even under nearly full Moonlight.
The solar storm, while it did occur, was relatively mild and registered as a G1-class event on the scale. It did induce some auroras, but these phenomena were limited to the Arctic regions. According to space weather predictions, the Kp5 reading, which signifies a moderate solar storm, was observed only briefly, with most of the time remaining at a Kp4 minor storm level.
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While Earth avoided being hit by solar particles during this recent incident, the next one might not be as fortunate. There are reports indicating the emergence of a new sunspot, AR3474, in the southern hemisphere of the sun. This sunspot is rapidly expanding and is known to possess beta-gamma magnetic fields, which are indicative of potential M-class solar flare eruptions. There is a chance that such a flare could occur today, and if it does, it would have a significant impact on our planet.
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, has played a crucial role in monitoring the Sun since 2010. It is equipped with three essential instruments for collecting data on various solar activities. These instruments include the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), responsible for capturing high-resolution measurements of the solar magnetic field across the entire visible solar disk. The Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) measures the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet irradiance, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) offers continuous full-disk observations of the solar chromosphere and corona using seven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) channels.
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