The sun unleashed a massive solar storm today in a spectacular eruption that some have called the most impressive yet observed by the NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The video shown above is dramatic.

The eruption occurs about eight seconds into the video on the bottom right portion of the screen.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center www.swpc.noaa.gov/ predicts that the solar flare will generate a coronal mass ejection (CME) - an explosion of charged particles (plasma) spewed into space. This could cause a geomagnetic storm when the plasma reaches and interacts with the Earth's magnetic field.

However -- and fortunately - the angle at which the plasma bombardment reaches the Earth beginning tomorrow and peaking on June 9 suggests the intensity of the geomagnetic storm will reach only G1 (minor) to G2 (moderate) levels on a scale from G1 to G5 (G5 would signify potentially widespread damage to power grids, GPS, and low-earth orbit satellite systems generally).

Note: predicting space weather effects entails considerable uncertainty and, therefore, we advise watching for updates at NOAA www.swpc.noaa.gov/ and here at CWG.

Source: www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/…

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