A stream of solar wind is rushing towards us. There is a chance of the northern lights

Scientists observed several powerful flares on the Sun this week, resulting in coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These are high-energy plasma clouds ejected into interplanetary space. The strongest flare occurred on Wednesday. It had a class of M9.8, so it was just short of being included in the class of the strongest solar flares. The solar wind flow is directed towards the Earth.

According to forecasts, it is expected to combine with previous outbursts of solar material also heading towards our planet, causing a strong geomagnetic storm. In the classification of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it can receive a G3 rating, i.e. high. In such conditions, the appearance of the aurora borealis is possible even in latitudes where they rarely occur, including Poland.

Multi-colored lights are expected to be clearly visible in the sky from November 30 to December 1.

“A moment ago, from the active area 3500 on the Sun, there was an M9.8-class flare, ALMOST X-class! The area is currently directed centrally towards the Earth. In the next several hours, there should be confirmation of the observation (or not) of a coronal mass ejection from this phenomenon. If it happens, we can expect great aurora conditions on Friday,” Karol Wójcicki, the author of the blog “With Your Head in the Stars”, informed on social media on Wednesday.

The last time we could admire spectacular aurora borealis over Poland was at the beginning of November.

The aurora borealis is a light phenomenon that occurs mainly near the North and South Poles. The scientific name of the aurora borealis is Aurora borealis within the North Pole and the southern dawn near the South Pole.

This phenomenon occurs when energized gas particles sent by the Sun hit the Earth’s upper atmosphere at high speeds (up to 72 million kilometers per hour). The planet is protected from “attack” by its magnetic field. It redirects particles towards the north and south poles, and the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere.