The storm, caused by a huge release of energy from the sun in the form of a coronal mass ejection, might also interfere with some electronics.
A solar storm is heading towards Earth that could potentially cause auroras in parts of North America. The geomagnetic storm is expected to occur today, Wednesday, after the sun released a coronal mass ejection (CME) on January 29—a vast expulsion of energetic material that has been travelling towards Earth at over 400 miles per second since then. The CME is expected to arrive on February 2, 2022, and may have already done so at the time of writing. CMEs are not especially rare. Their frequency varies, depending on the sun’s 11-year cycle, but at a minimum they’re observed about once per week. However, they don’t always end up being directed towards Earth. When they are, CMEs have the potential to impact the Earth’s magnetic field, since CMEs themselves carry magnetic fields from the sun. This impact of the Earth’s magnetic field can cause more intense auroras than usual, but also wreak havoc on electrical systems, navigation, and spacecraft if the CME is strong enough.
