A powerful solar storm made its way to Earth on Thursday, posing challenges for ongoing recovery efforts from hurricanes Helene and Milton. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that the coronal mass ejection (CME) traveled at an astonishing speed of nearly 1.5 million miles per hour, reaching our planet at 11:15 a.m. on Thursday.
The storm hit G4 (Severe) levels, prompting NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to maintain a Geomagnetic Storm Watch through Thursday and into Friday. Multiple warnings and alerts have been issued to prepare for potential disruptions.
Recovery operations for the hurricanes could face setbacks as the solar storm may cause communication outages, stress power grids, and degrade GPS services. These disruptions could hinder the coordination and efficiency of relief efforts at a crucial time.
Despite the challenges, there’s a silver lining for skywatchers. Under clear skies, the aurora might be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California on Thursday night, offering a spectacular natural light show.
Understanding CMEs is essential; they are massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields expelled from the sun's corona. When directed towards Earth, these eruptions lead to geomagnetic storms that can have widespread effects on our technology-dependent society.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
