With Earth going through the Vernal Equinox, solar activity is impacting the planet with increasing frequency. As we approach the solar maximum, it is only expected to increase further. Just a few days ago, the Sun spewed out a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) towards Earth. It was a huge eruption and was designated as the ‘Canyon of Fire’ by NASA. This CME was hurled towards Earth and a potential solar storm danger arose. Now, forecasters have revealed that the CME has indeed impacted Earth and a geomagnetic storm alert has been issued.
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Geomagnetic storm alert
According to a SpaceWeather report, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the expulsion of the CME on March 17. It then set a course for Earth and grazed the planet’s magnetic field during today’s early hours. NASA says while it did not immediately spark a geomagnetic storm, it could still take place later in the day as Earth passes through the CME. Thus, a geomagnetic storm alert has been issued as the solar storm danger is still looming.
The report states, “Arriving hours later than expected, a CME struck Earth’s magnetic field on March 21st (0230). The weak impact did not immediately spark a geomagnetic storm, although such a storm is possible later today as Earth passes deeper into the CME’s magnetized wake. This is the CME hurled into space by a dramatic filament eruption earlier this week.”
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This geomagnetic storm alert has been issued at a time when Earth is facing a period called Vernal Equinox. During this period, the Russell-McPherron effect comes into play where even the weakest solar winds can seep through the Earth’s magnetic field and spark a solar storm. This is due to a semiannual variation in the effective southward component of the interplanetary field.
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