In 1859, the solar storm known as the “Carrington Event” shook our planet. As our Sun approaches the peak of its activity cycle, should we prepare to face once again such a geomagnetic storm? Astronomers are closely monitoring a specific sunspot that has shown impressive activity in recent days.
The peak of the Sun’s cycle activity is in sight. Over the past few days, our Sun has been incredibly active. The sunspot named AR3663 has been particularly hyperactive, having emitted four class X solar flares since May 3, propelling AR3663 to the most active sunspot of cycle 25.
A “Carrington Class” Sunspot
At the same time, another sunspot, AR3664, has become the largest sunspot of this solar cycle with dangerously close magnetic poles. In just two days, AR3664 alone has emitted five coronal mass ejections (CMEs) towards Earth.
This has sparked concerns and raised the possibility of Earth experiencing the consequences of solar activity once again, akin to a new “Carrington Event.” This powerful solar storm had previously caused numerous disruptions, although the world was not as reliant on systems sensitive to electromagnetic disturbances back then.
However, experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assure that while AR3664 is indeed a “Carrington class” sunspot, the CMEs heading towards Earth are not as powerful as the one that hit our planet on September 1, 1859.
Prepare for at Least a Strong Solar Storm
Scientists estimate that the CMEs sent by sunspot AR3664 are expected to reach Earth this Saturday, May 11. Initially, a cannibal CME formed by multiple coronal mass ejections along the way between the Sun and Earth is anticipated. A strong solar storm – a G3 geomagnetic storm – is highly likely. Subsequent arrival of two other CMEs could escalate the storm to an extreme G4 level. This could result in auroras being visible at mid to low latitudes. For comparison, if this anticipated solar storm were a hurricane, it would be categorized as level 4, whereas the Carrington Event had reached level 5. On that day, the entire planet could witness the spectacle of auroras!