The Sun has eruptive flares regularly, throwing plasma and magnetic energy into space. The energy from the eruptions can affect Earth, causing geomagnetic storms that interrupt satellite communications and cause auroras in our skies. On Friday, experts are warning that a ‘Cannibal’ eruption from the Sun is on its way to strike our planet. The mega eruption is expected to bring heavy auroras and could obstruct radio frequencies. A “Cannibal” CME is a phenomenon that occurs when two faster-moving solar eruptions overtake the slower-moving one, merging into a single, massive plasma wave with highly charged and tangled magnetic fields.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this CME is on a collision course with our planet and will arrive by December 1. NOAA scientists have issued a G2 geomagnetic storm watch, meaning that the solar event could disrupt the magnetosphere, the bubble of energy around our planet that protects us from cosmic radiation and particles that can damage spacecraft and affect life here.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory, a satellite operated by NASA, captured this stunning time-lapse video of the giant solar filament. The filament is a long strip of glowing plasma about the length of New York City. It formed when an X1.6-class solar flare erupted on the Sun’s southern hemisphere, sending two coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, toward Earth.
Scientists say the CMEs have combined into a giant plasma cloud heading for our planet. When the cloud hits our planet, it will create a powerful solar storm that could knock out power grids, disrupt satellite communications, and cause aurora displays across large swaths of North America.
Solar flares and CMEs occur in cycles that last about 11 years. The Sun is nearing another solar maximum, meaning more of these events will occur. The last solar maximum in 2012 produced a record number of substantial solar flares and CMEs that disrupted power grids, caused pylons to spark, and shocked telegraph operators.
In 1859, the most significant solar storm, the Carrington Event, knocked out telegraph lines and gave electric shocks to towers sparking from lightning strikes. The event was so strong that it is said to have created a glow in the night sky that spread for thousands of miles.
While the Cannibal CME won’t be as powerful, its arrival is still a good reason to be cautious outdoors. The Aurora Alerts system monitors the activity and will notify residents if conditions are unsafe. For more information on how to stay safe during a solar flare, visit the NOAA’s website.
