Increased solar activity prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a geomagnetic storm warning for July 24.
The culprit? Plumes of plasma and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections (continuing medical education) is published from sun July 21st, now heading towards Earth and Estimated arrival on July 24th.
Recent forecasts expect the arrival window to be in the early morning hours of July 24, but there is a degree of uncertainty regarding the exact time. “With slow solar wind 'traffic' and a passing storm ahead, this storm may Came very late.
CMEs carry charged atoms, called ions, which can trigger geomagnetic storms when they collide with Earth's magnetosphere. During a geomagnetic storm, ions collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere and release energy in the form of light, which we recognize as the Aurora Borealis or Aurora Borealis in the Northern Hemisphere or Aurora Australis or Aurora Australis in the Southern Hemisphere.
NOAA uses the G scale to measure the intensity of geomagnetic storms and classify them. They range from the most extreme G5 storms to minor G1 storms. NOAA's recently released geomagnetic storm watch is currently classified as G2.
Just like weather on Earth, space weather is volatile and unpredictable. Geomagnetic storm warnings like this are not uncommon, and in some cases, they disappear. As July 24th approaches space weather Forecasters will have a better idea of when, if ever, a coronal mass ejection will arrive.
While aurora chasers are willing to prepare for a direct impact should a coronal mass ejection arrive, that's not a view shared by everyone.
Coronal mass ejections could wreak havoc on our technological world and pose a threat to satellites and astronauts low earth orbit. On Earth, coronal mass ejections can cause surges in electrical currents that overload power grids, causing blackouts. They can also hit the earth magnetic field Radio static that disrupts radio transmissions and increases the Earth's ionosphere.
In space, high-energy particles from coronal mass ejections can damage satellites in low Earth orbit. A coronal mass ejection also causes the Earth's atmosphere to warm and expand because it creates a thicker medium that the satellite must travel through. The additional drag slows the satellite's momentum and causes its orbit to lower.
Astronauts are also exposed to higher doses of radiation during a coronal mass ejection than on Earth, although they are still primarily protected by and shielded by the magnetosphere. spacecraft structure.
For the latest space weather alerts and forecasts, check out NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
This article was updated on July 23 to include recent predictions of the CME arrival window and a reference to Tamitha Skov's post on X.
