CME hits Earth, sparks a terrifying G4 Geomagnetic storm! Auroras seen all over the world

One of the strongest CMEs hit Earth and sparked a terrifying G4-class Geomagnetic storm as well as auroras which were seen all over the world, according to reports.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Apr 24 2023, 08:45 IST
Top NASA Astronomy Pictures of the Week: Auroras, Dark Seahorse Nebula and more
Auroras
1/5 Red ring of ELVES (April 17) - It is a snapshot of ELVES lighting up the sky over Italy, a distinct type of transient luminous event. ELVES refers to the Emission of Light and Very Low-Frequency perturbations due to Electromagnetic Pulse Sources. The red ELVES captured in the image had a radius of approximately 350 kilometers and occurred at an altitude of about 100 kilometers above the surface, according to NASA. (NASA/Valter Binotto)
Auroras
2/5 Map of Total Solar Eclipse path (April 18) - It is the map of the total solar eclipse path which will take place on April 8 next year. Viewers in locations outside the paths will not experience a total solar eclipse or annular eclipse, but they may still see a partial eclipse. Lines running parallel to each path indicate how much of the Sun will become covered by the Moon during the partial eclipse. (NASA/SVS)
Auroras
3/5 Auroras in Finland (April 19) - This captured image shows auroras lighting up the sky in Saariselka, in northern Finnish Lapland. It was a result of a powerful CME hitting Earth and the auroras could be seen not only in the North but as far as New Mexico, according to NASA. The bright auroras were seen in yellow, green, red and purple auroral colours, mesmerizing skywatchers and tourists. (NASA/Juan Carlos Casado (Starry Earth, TWAN))
Auroras
4/5 Dark Seahorse Nebula (April 20) - Barnard 150, also known as the Dark Seahorse Nebula, is one of the most peculiarly shaped nebulae, located about 1200 light-years away towards the constellation of Cepheus. It is a dark molecular cloud and is so dense that the dust within blocks visible wavelengths of light. Telescopes that see visible light only detect ghostly dark patches in the sky, called Dark Nebulae. (NASA/Jeff Herman)
Auroras
5/5 Hybrid Solar Eclipse (April 21) - It is a snapshot of the Hybrid Solar Eclipse which occurred yesterday, April 20. It crossed over remote parts of Australia, Indonesia and East Timor and was live-streamed by websites such as Perth Observatory, and the Gravity Discovery Centre and Observatory and more. According to NASA, this hybrid solar eclipse lasted just 62 seconds. (NASA/Gwenael Blanck)
Auroras
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The Geomagnetic storm sparked auroras all over the world, as captured above in Saxony, Germany. (Heiko Ulbricht)

Earth has been continuously bombarded by solar storms since the turn of the year and not a single week has gone by without one incident or the other of solar particles hitting our atmosphere. We have seen multiple X-class solar flare eruptions, G3-class solar storms and super-charged CME clouds and solar winds wreaking havoc on our planet. Recently, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have revealed that a strong CME sparked a terrifying G4 Geomagnetic storm.

According to a report by spaceweather.com, a terrifying CME hit Earth yesterday, April 23 at 1737 UT and sparked one of the strongest, G4-class Geomagnetic storm. This Geomagnetic storm impact caused auroras to be seen all over the world. The streaks of light were observed lighting up the sky in Europe and as far as south of France, and were visible even in brightly-lit urban areas.

Heiko Ulbricht captured auroras from Saxony in Germany. Ulbricht told spaceweather.com, “There were bright green spots dancing across the sky all the way up to the zenith. This was a display not to be forgotten.”

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What's shocking is that this Geomagnetic storm event is still going on! The reports reveal that this Geomagnetic storm has sparked auroras in the US, with streaks of light captured in Kentucky and more auroras are expected to paint the sky as the night falls in North America.

Factors driving solar activity

The Sun entered solar cycle 25 in 2019 and it is expected that it will hit its peak in July 2025. And this is the main reason why the Sun has suddenly become so violent. The Earth is in for a rough ride. If the Earth is hit with a G5-class solar storm, it can not only damage satellites and disrupt wireless communications such as internet services, mobile network and GPS, it can also cause power grid failures and even disrupt electronics such as pacemakers on Earth.

Solar observation tech

While many space agencies from NASA with its Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keep track of Sun-based weather phenomena, one that particularly stands out is the DSCOVR satellite by NOAA. The satellite became operational in 2016 and tracks different measurements of the Sun and its atmosphere including temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation and frequency of the solar particles. The recovered data is then run through the Space Weather Prediction Center and the final analysis is prepared.

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First Published Date: 24 Apr, 08:44 IST
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