A rare solar flare erupted from the sun on December 28 and is headed toward Earth at millions of miles per hour. The storm could create problems with technology while putting on an atmospheric show for some.
Scientists are on watch for the G3 level
A rare solar flare erupted from the sun on December 28 and is headed toward Earth at millions of miles per hour. The storm could create problems with technology while putting on an atmospheric show for some.
Scientists are on watch for the G3 level geomagnetic storm which is expected to hit Earth Wednesday and last through New Year’s Eve.
“The G3 is level three on a scale of one to six of geomagnetic activity,” said Terry Onsager, a physicist with the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. “That’s a measure of how much the Earth’s magnetic field on the ground gets disturbed.”
The solar event is considered moderate but still powerful enough to create some disturbance with technology.
“[The solar event] can drive currents through the power grid system that causes various issues with power generation and transmission,” said, Onsager.
Power grids could also be impacted. Off