July 18th 2023.
A powerful 'cannibal' coronal mass ejection could hit Earth today, potentially leading to radio blackouts. Coronal mass ejections are caused by huge loops of plasma erupting from the Sun's surface and 'snapping' in two, releasing magnetised plasma into space.
If the particles collide with Earth, they can disturb the magnetic field and cause radio blackouts in the most severe cases. 'Cannibal' CMEs are rare, occurring when two eruptions travel along the same trajectory at specific speeds.
The two CMEs which could lead to the geomagnetic storm today were caused by two C-class solar flares. Solar flares are huge ejections of solar radiation which can reach Earth minutes after an eruption, in contrast to days in the case of CMEs. Earlier this month, an X-class solar flare caused radio blackouts over parts of the United States and Pacific Ocean.
The Sun's magnetic field goes through an 11-year cycle, and the current cycle is stronger than expected. June 2023 saw 163 sunspots, twice as many as predicted and more than any other month in two decades. As a result, there are concerns of severe space weather events in the months and years to come.
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