Earth to Experience , Third Near-Miss by Solar Eruption , in a Week.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns that Earth could potentially be in the path of an eruption of energy from the sun.
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'Newsweek' reports that this is the third time in a week the planet has narrowly dodged a direct hit from a coronal mass ejection (CME).
'Newsweek' reports that this is the third time in a week the planet has narrowly dodged a direct hit from a coronal mass ejection (CME).
According to SpaceWeather, the CME is due to deliver a glancing blow to Earth on March 23.
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While Earth may not be hit directly, the CME is expected to energize Earth's auroras, the multicolored sky phenomena known as the northern and southern lights.
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'Newsweek' reports that CMEs have the ability to disturb Earth's magnetic field and cause issues with electrical systems. .
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a warning that there could be weak power grid fluctuations.
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Newsweek reports that similar solar eruptions were reported on March 14, then again on March 20 and 21.
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The frequency of CMEs is dependent upon where the sun is in its 11 year cycle.
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3 near-miss CMEs in the span of a week isn't necessarily unusual at the height of solar maximum, but to happen now may be something of a statistical fluke, Martin Archer, a space weather researcher at Imperial College London's Department of Physics, via 'Newsweek'.
As the sun's activity ramps up over the next few years, we can expect more CMEs to be erupted both in general and towards our planet, Martin Archer, a space weather researcher at Imperial College London's Department of Physics, via 'Newsweek'
