Massive solar storm about to hit Earth

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that a powerful solar storm is speeding towards Earth and will approach our planet on October 10.

The sun emitted a powerful solar flare that peaked at 9:56 p.m. ET on Oct. 8. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which continuously monitors the sun, captured images of the event. Photo: NASA

According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on the evening of October 8 and is expected to hit Earth sometime between early morning and noon EST on October 10 and is likely to last through October 11. The speed of this CME is estimated to reach 1,300 km/second.

Forecasters have warned that the severe solar storm, rated as a Category 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, could also disrupt communications, power grids and satellite operations. According to NOAA, the aurora will be visible across much of the northern United States, even as far away as Alabama and northern California.

CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun's corona. When they are directed toward Earth, they can cause magnetic storms.

The full intensity and characteristics of the storm, which is moving toward Earth at about 4 million kilometers per hour, will not be known until it reaches the Deep Space Climate Observatory and Advanced Composition Explorer satellites.

As a result, the center has notified the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the North American Power Grid, and satellite operators to prepare for disruptions, especially given the amount of preparation and relief efforts expected for Hurricane Milton.

KHANH HUNG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bao-mat-troi-cuc-manh-sap-tac-dong-den-trai-dat-post763019.html