Biggest Solar Storm Coming!

The biggest solar storm in five years is battering our planet right now, and may cause disruptions to satellites, power grids and communications networks over the next 24 hours, space weather experts say.

Two strong solar flares erupted from the surface of the sun late Tuesday, blasting a wave of plasma and charged particles toward Earth. This eruption of material — called a coronal mass ejection, or CME — sped through space at 4 million mph (6.4 million kilometers per hour).

Early predictions estimated that the CME would likely Earth as early as 1:25 a.m. ET Thursday, with the brunt of it arriving at around 7 a.m. ET. The storm is not hitting Earth head-on but is instead delivering a glancing blow to the planet.

Experts predict that the magnetic storm will likely enhance normal aurora displays (also known as the northern and southern lights). As the CME reaches Earth, these stunning light shows will be especially visible for people in northern latitudes, though the full moon of March, which also occurs Thursday, may interfere with the display.

"Skywatchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras," astronomer Tony Phillips wrote on his website Spaceweather.com, which monitors space weather events.
If you snap an amazing photo of the northern lights sparked by these sun storms and would like to share it for a possible story or image gallery, please contact Space.com managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.