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On December 7th there was a solar flare in the sun. Plasma and radiation have been hurled to earth – and are expected to enter the atmosphere on December 9th. The main threat is satellites and airlines may have to reschedule flights. Northern lights are also likely in Germany.
The plasma ejected during Monday’s solar flare is currently moving towards Earth and is likely to hit Earth’s atmosphere on Wednesday evening. The first impact on the earth’s magnetic field will then probably trigger a storm in the earth’s magnetic field of category G1 (small storm). If the magnetic field fluctuations persist on Thursday, December 10th, 2020, a G3 storm (strong storm) may even occur US space weather agency NOAA.
It is relatively certain that a geomagnetic storm will occur, but experts do not yet agree on the exact strength.
The solar storm poses the greatest threat to satellites, as radiation and particle flows can damage sensitive systems. This can often be avoided if operators turn off the vulnerable components after a solar storm warning. The radiation associated with the storm could also disrupt communications from aircraft flying near polarity.
Observe and photograph the northern lights in Germany
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