Here's a revised version of the content:
Earlier today, a striking ultraviolet image captured the Sun, showcasing a prominent sunspot on its surface.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a warning about an impending "severe solar storm" expected to impact Earth tonight. These geomagnetic storms, occurring periodically, are intensifying as the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. They result from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on the Sun, which disrupt the solar wind reaching Earth’s magnetosphere, the protective layer of Earth’s magnetic field.
Geomagnetic storms typically produce mesmerizing, yet harmless, auroras when charged solar particles collide with Earth’s atmospheric particles near the magnetic poles, emitting visible light. However, at their worst, these storms can disrupt Earth-based navigation systems such as GPS and cause disruptions to infrastructure like the power grid, radio, and satellite communications.
The impending storm has been classified as Severe (G4) by the Space Weather Prediction Center, prompting a Geomagnetic Storm Watch. This is the first such alert issued since January 2005. The center expects at least five CMEs to be directed at Earth between midday today, May 10, and Sunday, May 12. A strong solar flare, an X1.1 flare, was emitted by the Sun on Thursday. “X-class” flares are the most intense, with the number indicating their strength, according to NASA. NOAA recorded an even stronger solar flare, classified as a strong X2.2 flare, earlier the same day.
Experts from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. ET today to discuss the storm and its potential impacts. Updates will be provided once the press conference concludes.
A recent NOAA graphic indicates several flares on the Sun in the past week, all associated with a large sunspot cluster approximately 16 times the width of Earth. You can observe this sunspot yourself using eclipse glasses if you have a pair available (ensure they are safe for use).
Since the current solar cycle began in December 2019, NOAA has only recorded three Severe geomagnetic storms, with the most recent (also a G4 rating) occurring in March 2024. The last G5 geomagnetic storm, a more severe category, took place in October 2003 and resulted in power outages in Scandinavia and infrastructure damage as far south as South Africa, according to the same graphic.
The Sun’s intensity fluctuates over an 11-year cycle, and the current cycle is expected to continue until 2030. As reported by Gizmodo in 2022, this variability poses a challenge for satellite operators, whose off-Earth infrastructure is particularly vulnerable to solar fluctuations. More information on the impacts of the ongoing solar event will be available soon, with hopes for beautiful auroras and minimal infrastructural disruption.