According to the latest reports, 17 solar eruptions from a single sunspot on the sun have blasted into space, and they may reach Earth by March 31 and unfortunately might cause moderate geomagnetic storms. The sun eruptions are being produced by an overactive sunspot, known as AR2975, that has been emitting flares since March 28. On Earth, the stellar event might produce some modest sky storms, according to Space.com.
What are sunspots?
Sunspots are eruptions on the sun’s visible surface that result when magnetic lines twist and swiftly straighten near the surface. These explosions are sometimes linked to coronal mass ejections (CMEs), or streams of charged particles that fly into space, according to NASA. The Solar Dynamics Observatory saw beautiful photos of solar eruptions, as did the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
The eruptions have launched at least two, if not three, CMEs toward Earth. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict that the first CME will arrive on March 31, with at least one additional on April 1.
NASA and other space agencies are watching the incident
The particles could produce G2 or G3 (moderate) geomagnetic storms, according to modeling, but northern and southern lights are notoriously difficult to predict. While this minor storm is only a possibility, NASA and other space agencies continue to monitor solar activity in order to enhance solar weather predictions. A severe flare directed at Earth, accompanied by a significant CME, might result in damage to power lines or the loss of satellites.
The Sun is likely to be relatively quiet in 2022, as we are still near the start of an 11-year solar cycle activity cycle that began in December 2019. Cycle beginnings are generally associated with fewer sunspots and eruptions.
Solar cycles are measured in terms of the number of sunspots, which rise and fall over time. There is uncertainty about how strong this current solar cycle will be, with predictions so far indicating that the average amount of sunspots may be lower than usual.
