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The previous week was chaotic when it came to solar activities. Two different instances of solar storms occurred on Earth, triggered by large clouds of three coronal mass ejections (CME). The Sun has been particularly active, as it is nearing the peak of its solar cycle, and it does not appear to be stopping. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a large stream of solar winds is headed toward the Earth and will hit today, December 5. It is expected to spark a minor solar storm that can cause aurora lights in the higher latitudes.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, “NOAA forecasters have downgraded the current geomagnetic storm watch from G2 (Moderate) to G1 (Minor). This is in response to the late arrival of a solar wind stream flowing from a huge coronal hole. Despite this development, high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras”.
Solar storm could strike today
As per the prediction, the solar storm is likely to have a G1-class intensity. This is considered to be a minor storm, but it is still expected to be strong enough to strike at high latitudes. Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, posted on X, “Second Chances: For those who missed seeing #aurora during the recent #solarstorm, now is the time. A coronal hole that sent us fast solar wind four months in a row, will strike again starting Dec 4. Experience shows G1-G2 levels (red Kp5+ bars below) are possible through Dec 5”.
The coronal hole opened up in September 2023, and it has been growing ever since. In December 2023, it grew into a massive hole that has been responsible for many solar winds impacting the magnetosphere, and CMEs hitting the planet. As long as it stays in the Earth-facing solar disk, there is a possibility that the Earth can suffer the impact of more solar activities.
NOAA’s DSCOVR satellite’s role in solar storm monitoring
NOAA monitors solar storms and the Sun’s behavior using its DSCOVR satellite which became operational in 2016. The recovered data is then run through the Space Weather Prediction Center and the final analysis is prepared. The different measurements are done on temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation, and frequency of the solar particles.
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