Fast-moving solar winds may hit Earth tomorrow, December 31st, triggering the last solar storm of the year. Know how it can affect you.
Earth narrowly avoided a coronal mass ejection (CME) this Christmas, but before the year is out, our planet could face another onslaught from a solar storm. Fast-flying solar winds have reportedly escaped the sun and are coming toward us. This will likely create a co-rotating interaction region by creating a hole in the Earth’s magnetic field. This will be the last solar storm of the year and will strike tomorrow, December 31st. This solar storm will strike right when people are making their New Year plans and going on vacation, and it can ruin your plans. Read on to learn the possible consequences.
The development was reported by SpaceWeather.com, which revealed on its website: “The year could end with an arctic light show. NOAA forecasters say there’s a chance of G1 class geomagnetic storms on December 30th and 31st, when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to impact the Earth’s magnetic field. CIRs are transition zones between fast- and slow-moving solar wind streams. They often contain shock waves that do a good job of igniting auroras.”
The last solar storm of the year can hit Earth tomorrow
Interestingly, this incoming solar storm is not caused by CME particles. This particular kind of solar storm is referred to as a CIR-activated solar storm. CIR (Co-Rotating Interaction Region) are the cracks in the magnetosphere that form when solar winds approach at different speeds or directions Earth at the same time. It temporarily weakens the magnetosphere, letting in more solar radiation than normal and causing solar storms.
With the New Year’s Eve solar storm, airlines will have their busiest time of the year. And a solar storm hitting Earth at this time can affect radio signals and GPS, resulting in many flights flying blind in the exposed area. This can also lead to flight delays and cancellations. So if you’re planning to travel tomorrow, be sure to check your flight schedule before you set off.
How solar storms are tracked in advance
NOAA monitors solar storms and the Sun’s behavior with its DSCOVR satellite, which became operational in 2016. The data obtained is then passed through the Space Weather Prediction Center and the final analysis is prepared. The various measurements are made using the temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation and frequency of the solar particles.
