Magnetic Storms Expected This Weekend: What to Anticipate from Solar Activity
Upcoming weekend may surprise people worldwide with new cosmic phenomena: a magnetic storm is expected to hit Earth again, driven by increased solar activity.
Recent months have seen sustained high levels of solar activity, characterized by numerous sunspots and frequent solar flares.
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), associated with these events, are the main triggers for geomagnetic storms on our planet.
According to the SpaceWeather website, on October 23, the Sun released a significant coronal mass ejection directed towards Earth.
NASA’s models predict that this CME will arrive on October 26, potentially causing a weak G1 category geomagnetic storm.
This means the magnetic disturbances will be mild but could still produce some inconveniences.
Scientists caution that this forecast carries a low probability, and as of October 23, several CMEs have already been observed emanating from the Sun, making it hard to monitor all activity precisely.
Magnetic storms are disturbances in Earth’s geomagnetic field caused by streams of charged particles ejected from the Sun.
These phenomena can disrupt communication systems and affect the well-being of elderly and weather-sensitive individuals, leading to headaches, dizziness, nausea, joint pain, fatigue, and insomnia.
Researchers have noted that solar activity has been gradually intensifying since 2008, although the reasons behind this trend remain unclear—scientists continue to investigate the processes occurring on the Sun.