Huge solar flares ejected from the sun could hit the earth in days and disrupt the power grid

Space weather experts have observed the Sun ejecting a large mass of particles and believe it could hit Earth in the next few days.

If such ejections hit the Earth’s magnetic field, they can trigger solar storms.

An ejection like this is known as a solar flare, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME).

A CME is a giant ejection of plasma from the Sun’s outer layer, called the corona.

These expulsions shoot through space and can hit the earth.

Luckily, the solar storm predicted for this Wednesday, March 23rd is likely only a “G1 minor,” meaning you probably won’t even notice it when it hits.

experts at spaceweather.com stated, “Another CME is on its way to Earth, and it’s a little off target.

“A fleeing strike (or near miss) is possible in the late hours of March 23, according to NOAA forecasters.

“This will be the third time a CME has been held in the past week almost landed a direct hit.

“Even a near miss can create bright auroras in the Arctic. Best-case scenario for auroras: A small G1-class geomagnetic storm.”

The “G1 Minor” category of solar storms could cause small fluctuations in the power grid and have minor impacts on satellite communications.

A G1 storm can also confuse migratory animals, which rely on the Earth’s magnetic field for their sense of direction.

One good thing about solar storms is that they can create very beautiful natural light displays like the Northern Lights.

These natural light displays are called auroras and are examples of how Earth’s magnetosphere is being bombarded by the solar wind, creating the pretty green and blue displays.

The Earth’s magnetic field helps protect us from the more extreme effects of solar flares.

In 1989, a powerful solar flare shot down so many electrically charged particles that the Canadian province of Quebec was without electricity for nine hours.

Not only do they cause problems for our technology on Earth, but they can also be fatal to an astronaut if they cause injury or interfere with mission control communications.

The sun is currently at the beginning of a new 11-year solar cycle, during which flares and flares usually become more intense and extreme.

This story originally appeared on the sun and is reproduced here with permission.