A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is on its path to hit the planet Earth! The plasma particles travelling at a speed of million kilometres per hour could trigger a geomagnetic storm on the planet today. It can impact migratory birds and affect radio waves in some regions. Should we be worried? Asteroid Warning! Huge Celestial Rock Named 2023 JD to Zoom Past Earth Today, NASA Issues Alert.

The coronal mass ejection emerged from sunspot AR3296 on May 7. CMEs are massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields released from the Sun’s corona. It is the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, made of extremely hot plasma. During a CME, these billions of particles pass through space at very high speeds, and in the direction of Earth, they can cause dangerous effects. The geomagnetic storm will also see a rise in the Auroras in the polar region this week. The recent hit of geomagnetic storms last month also triggered auroras at lower altitudes. A CME struck the planet on April 21.

According to predictions made by the US-based Space Weather Prediction Centre, the CME from May 7 could cause a mild G1-class geomagnetic storm in interaction with Earth's magnetic field. The rise of electric currents in the atmosphere can interfere with power grids and satellite communications. The geomagnetic storm will likely occur on May 10 and could continue on May 11.

The Sun is being volatile as it reaches its solar cycle peak. In recent times, there has been a considerable increase in solar flares erupting from the Sun, also causing fast solar winds. A series of three-day outbursts of solar flares was noted on May 3, 4 and 5. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that at least one of these flares is heading towards the planet. It will thus result in geomagnetic storms. This also affects the temperatures in certain areas, causing a heat wave-like situation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 10, 2023 02:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).