Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
On October 8, 2024, sunspot AR3848 released a powerful X1.8-class solar flare, directed at Earth. The flare, observed by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, lasted an unusually long four hours.
The prolonged flare triggered a significant coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive burst of solar wind and magnetic fields from the sun’s outer atmosphere. CMEs are known to carry billions of tons of charged particles and plasma into space.
The CME ejected by sunspot AR3848 is now en route to Earth, with an impact expected later this week. The event has the potential to trigger geomagnetic storms upon arrival.
Geomagnetic storms, caused by CMEs, can produce vivid auroras and, in severe cases, disrupt satellite operations and power grids. The severity of the upcoming storm will depend on the interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the incoming solar material.
Earth has just emerged from a previous round of geomagnetic activity, with recent storms ranging from G1 to G3 on the space weather scale. The planet had been moving through the magnetized tail of a previous CME, but another storm may follow soon.
NASA and NOAA have scheduled a media teleconference for October 15 to discuss the ongoing solar activity and provide updates on Solar Cycle 25, which has been more active than earlier predictions.
The Sun is currently approaching the peak of Solar Cycle 25, expected between late 2024 and early 2026. This period is likely to bring more frequent and intense solar events, necessitating careful monitoring.
As solar activity increases, it is important to understand and mitigate its effects on technology and infrastructure, particularly for satellite systems and power grids. This is especially critical as space exploration expands during this active phase of the solar cycle.