The explosion caused a shock wave that could lead to magnetic storms on Earth.
On August 16, the B1 solar flare lasted even longer. An explosion lasting 2.5 hours sent a powerful shock wave that swept through the Sun’s atmosphere.
There were no sunspots. The explosion took place in an impeccably quiet area of the southern hemisphere of the sun.
A magnetic thread broke, scattering clots of plasma in all directions. Some of this debris formed the core of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), which blasted off the sun and is now spreading into the solar system.
Will this blowout hit the Earth?
NASA scientists have no answer to this question yet. CME could strike Earth’s magnetic field in a few days. There is also a chance that it might pass by.
NOAA analysts are modelling the CME trajectory and we hope to get a response soon.