At 8:50 p.m. yesterday, November 29, a powerful solar flare was detected followed by the emission of a large amount of plasma (electrically charged particles) into space and towards Earth, which is known as an ejection. of coronal mass. This event is added to similar events that have occurred recently, and especially those on the 27th.
Forecasts from organizations such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States (NOAA) indicate that in the next few hours the fronts of these particle emissions will reach our planet. These same sources therefore expect extensive auroral displays even in places where they are rare, and perhaps also temporary disturbances in satellites and communications.
Typically, solar flares (composed of high-energy radiation) are followed by coronal mass ejections, phenomena in which the Sun launches plasma material that composes it (basically electrons, protons and helium nuclei) into space at speeds that can range between 250 and 3,000 kilometers per hour.
The front of yesterday’s coronal mass ejection is likely moving fast and is expected to trap the slower-moving flows generated on the 27th. This phenomenon is informally called cannibal emission: the fastest emission engulfs the previous ones and generates a single front of particles.
The arrival of the particle flow will generate a geomagnetic storm (solar storm) that has been classified by NOAA as category G3. On this scale of impact, grade G3 is considered strong: it can specifically affect some electronic devices, interference in radio communications, both low and high frequency, and even produce small deviations to some satellites in low Earth orbit.
More likely, the solar storm will activate the spectacle of the northern lights (or southern lights in the southern hemisphere), which could be seen in places where these phenomena are rare. In general, G3 category storms can generate auroras at latitudes equivalent to those of northern Europe, including the northernmost areas of Germany or France, although it cannot be ruled out that they can be seen even further south.
The probability of this type of solar event occurring will increase in the coming months, as the Sun heads towards the maximum of the current cycle (periods of 11 years in which the star goes from a very low level of activity, evidenced by the number of sunspots, flares and coronal mass ejections, to a peak and then descend again towards a minimum that marks the beginning of a new cycle).
Specifically, although the first estimates, when the current solar cycle began (number 25), indicated that the maximum would take place in 2025, solar activity is being much more intense than expected and at this time the date of the maximum could be in 2024.
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections have always existed, since the Sun was born.
The Earth has two protective shields that have allowed life to develop for billions of years. On the one hand, the planet’s magnetic field captures the majority of particles emitted by the Sun and prevents them from reaching the surface (although the arrival of intense flows, such as the one predicted, can saturate the Earth’s magnetic belt and generate auroras and effects on our technology). On the other hand, the atmosphere acts as a protective filter from the high-energy radiation emitted by the Sun.