Warning: Sunspot AR3615 may release X-class solar flares towards Earth
A strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth on Sunday following a recent X-class solar flare and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the Sun. With the solar maximum approaching, there is a higher likelihood of more frequent and intense solar phenomena like solar storms, CMEs, and solar flares. There is a potential threat of another X-class solar flare causing a solar storm in the coming days.
Solar storm warning
According to a SpaceWeather report, the geomagnetic storm that hit Earth on March 24 was the strongest since 2017. Although that threat is over, a new one is now looming. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasters have revealed that sunspot AR3615 is growing in size.
According to the report, it could lead to X-class solar flares being hurled towards Earth either today or tomorrow. NOAA says there is a 25 percent chance these flares will spit out and hit the planet.
The report states: “Sunday’s severe geomagnetic storm is over, but the calm may not last. The giant shape-shifting sunspot AR3615 is an ongoing threat to Earth-bound solar flares. NOAA forecasters say there is a 25% chance of an X-flare today and tomorrow.”
If the threat of a solar storm materializes, it could also spark aurora borealis in Europe and the United States.
Increase in solar activity
In recent weeks, we have seen solar storms that have produced even weak solar winds. This is due to the Russell-McPherron effect, which causes a semiannual variation in the effective southward component of the interplanetary field. As a result, there is a crack in the Earth’s magnetic field through which even weak solar winds can penetrate and cause a solar storm.
