Solar Blast Could Trigger Bright Northern Lights Weds. night Dec. 9
Look at those whirls of hot plasma! These formed in the wake of a C-class solar flare in active region 2790 mid-morning (CST) on Dec. 7. The material is now on its way to Earth and could possibly spark a geomagnetic storm and auroras. The photo was made in far ultraviolet (UV) light by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory . NASA / SDO A modest flare that occurred in sunspot group 2790 on Dec. 7 blasted a tsunami of solar ions toward planet Earth. The wave is expected to arrive late Weds. afternoon (Dec. 9) and initiate a minor or G1 geomagnetic storm that will intensify into a G3 or strong storm later that evening. Sunspot group 2790, pictured here on Dec. 5, is no great shakes but somehow pulled off a big enough flare to stir excitement among aurora-watchers down here on Earth. Bob King The arrival is coupled with material expelled from another source, a coronal hole, so we get the benefit of a double whammy. The latest space weather forecast predicts a G1 storm t...