Sun Fires M6.9 Flare Toward Earth as CME May Graze Planet on Aug. 28
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 25
Sun Fires M6.9 Flare Toward Earth as CME May Graze Planet on Aug. 28
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 25
Summary
An M6.98 solar flare erupted from Earth-facing sunspot 4513 at 1000 GMT on Aug. 25, launching a coronal mass ejection that early models show could clip Earth around 1000-1100 GMT on Aug. 28.
The same eruption triggered a moderate R2 radio blackout on Earth’s sunlit side, disrupting high-frequency communications over parts of Africa, Europe and the Arctic.
Sunspot 4513 has produced five M-class flares in the past 24 hours, underscoring the active conditions behind the latest blast.
A high-speed solar wind stream from a positive-polarity coronal hole is also expected from Aug. 27, and if it overlaps with the CME it could lift geomagnetic activity and aurora chances.
The eventual impact still hinges on the CME’s exact arrival time and magnetic-field orientation, with a stronger southward field more likely to drive a bigger geomagnetic response.