Jakarta –
The potential for the appearance of a rare aurora could happen. Because a huge coronal hole opened up in the Sun’s atmosphere and is now pointing almost straight at Earth. Such events are usually associated with an increase in the speed of the solar wind and the strength of the interplanetary magnetic field.
Reported from detikInet, if the location on the Sun is correct, it can cause geomagnetic storms and aurora activity when charged particles encounter Earth’s magnetic field. NASA anticipates a G2 (moderate) sized storm for the evening of March 24, 2023 local time.
While there has always been uncertainty associated with such events, previous corona holes comparable to the current one have caused auroras to be seen in the United States, as far south as New York to Seattle. However, no serious damage was anticipated.
The most likely time to see this rare aurora is Friday (24/3) evening, but G1 grade geomagnetic storms on Thursday (22/3) and Saturday (25/3) can create a spectacle for those in the closer region. with the Earth’s magnetic poles.
In addition, as quoted from IFL Science, Saturday (25/3/2023) in several places, the aurora has entered and seen earlier.
The sun has several forms of activity that can cause sudden interference in Earth’s magnetosphere. Solar flares are perhaps the most famous, while coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can be very annoying.
Coronal holes are less well known, partly because they are visible in the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray parts of the spectrum, not in visible light, and were not detected until the 1960s. Nevertheless, they are influential enough that observers of solar activity pay close attention to them.
Although coronal holes are fairly common, most are confined near the poles of the Sun, where activity has little to no effect on Earth. As the video below shows today’s holes, some are expanding toward the equator and are becoming more likely to send their activity toward Earth.
Just as sunspots mark cooler areas on the Sun itself, coronal holes are made up of lower-than-usual plasma in the Sun’s atmosphere, known as ‘coronas’ because they look like crowns during a solar eclipse. Holes appear dark in images taken at the appropriate wavelength.
Instead of the Sun’s magnetic field forming loops that impede the discharge of charged particles, during coronal holes, the field reaches space, and charges can escape along the field lines. The result is a high-speed stream of coronal holes that can quickly exit and be channeled by the magnetic field of any planet lucky enough to point it toward its poles.
As with sunspots and other solar activity, coronal holes can occur at any time, but are affected by the 11-year solar cycle. But its frequency, at least near the Sun’s equator, is counter-cyclical, peaking near the Solar minimum when other types of Solar activity decline.
This article has been published on detikInet. Read more here.
(bba/iqk)
