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Sun fires powerful M6.9 solar flare and CME toward Earth - could it boost northern lights chances this week?
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- On August 25, the sun emitted a powerful M6.9 solar flare from active sunspot region 4513, which also produced multiple other M-class flares in the past 24 hours.
- The flare caused a moderate (R2) radio blackout affecting high-frequency communications over parts of Africa, Europe, and the Arctic.
- A coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with the flare is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth around August 28, with arrival times uncertain by about seven hours.
- A concurrent high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole is forecasted to influence Earth starting August 27, potentially combining with the CME to increase geomagnetic activity and aurora visibility.
- The overall impact on Earth's geomagnetic environment will depend on the CME's exact arrival time and the orientation of its magnetic field, with a strong southward field increasing the likelihood of stronger geomagnetic storms.
