SUN SENDS SOLAR STORMS TO EARTH
A series of significant eruptions are sending huge clouds of electronically-charged particles called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, toward Earth. The first hit on Sunday. “There’s one CME on its way, and we’re expecting another jolt to hit us,” said Ken Tegnell, a physical scientist at NOAA Space Environment Center. Space weather forecasters expect the CME that left the sun on Saturday to arrive early on Tuesday, followed by another one expected later that day. Tegnell said all the activity is from one region known as NOAA Region 696. “Throughout Sunday night, the Earth’s magnetic field was enhanced at G-4 (severe),” he said, referring to the NOAA space weather scales, which rank a storm’s intensity by the effects it may have on Earth systems. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation�s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Relevant Web Sites NOAA Solar X-ray Imager — Latest Views of the Sun Solar Storms Cause Significant Economic and Other Impacts on Earth Media
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