from The Sun

Halloween solar flare headed for Earth could trigger Northern Lights this weekend – and disrupt power grid

by Harry Pettit Charlotte Edwards

An X1.0 class solar flare flashes in the lower center of the Sun on October 28, 2021
3An X1.0 class solar flare flashes in the lower center of the Sun on October 28, 2021 Credit: Nasa

THE SUN launched a massive solar flare yesterday that’s headed in Earth’s direction – the strongest storm seen in the current weather cycle.

The volley of radiation may trigger the northern lights if it collides with our atmosphere, and could cause major issues for power grids, experts suggest.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which tracks the Sun’s activity, captured an image of the event at 11:35 a.m. EST (4:35 p.m. BST) on Thursday.

It has already caused a temporary, but strong, radio blackout in parts of South America, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

The flare is the result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) – a huge expulsion of plasma from the Sun’s outer layer, called the corona.

[ click to continue reading at The Sun ]