for a G4 Geostorm on Earth, the last time this magnitude happened was 20 years ago in Charlotte NC, United States on May 10, 2024. , which was last seen blasting powerful solar explosions our direction that generated historic and widespread aurora, has rotated back into view on the surface of the sun and already unleashed an X-class flare early Monday.recorded a flare off the southeast limb of the sun that measured X2.8.
However, the strength of a flare is just one of many factors that impacts how solar unrest impacts systems on our planet. Aurora and disruptions to electrical systems are actually more closely associated with coronal mass ejections , which are eruptions of charged particles that can take a few days to reach Earth. CMEs are also directional, so when one is thrown off from a sunspot that is more directly aimed at Earth, it’s more likely to result in stronger impacts.
It seems like AR3664 still has some steam after its travels, and another sunspot, AR3691, is also growing and developing X-flare potential as its firing line approaches Earth.visible in southerly areas of Australia. This image taken from Macleod in suburban Melbourne, Australia on May 12th 2024. This all means we could be in store for an encore of what was seen on May 10 in the next week or two.
No official forecasts have been put out yet that include a repeat of this month’s superstorm, but the sun is a very fickle thing. We will learn a lot about what’s to come by watching closely this week. If Monday’s X-flare is any indication, there’ more excitement to come, especially as this solar cycle is thought by many to be a year or more away from its peak in activity.Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.