Fast solar winds erupting from a “hole” in the sun’s surface have increased the chances of a small geomagnetic storm hitting Earth today on Aug. 3. after observing that “the gaseous material flows from a southern hole in the sun’s atmosphere.”
Orbiting satellites detected an explosion in the northeastern part of the sun at about 2309 UTC on Sunday (4:39 a.m. IST Monday), which along with these solar flares could create a geomagnetic storm.
These storms can also create aurora views because they cause Earth’s magnetic field to be slightly compressed by waves of extremely energetic particles. These particles disrupt atmospheric molecules as they travel along magnetic field lines close to the poles, releasing energy as light to produce auroras that are bright and resemble the Northern Lights.
G1 flames are relatively harmless solar storms. But they can also affect migrating animals and cause minor disruptions to satellite function and power cuts.
READ | Fascinating photos of aurora surface after solar storm hits Earth
