On Sunday, solar plasma, ejected after a major flare on the morning of March 23, reached the Earth, and a powerful magnetic storm was observed.
“The final calming of the geomagnetic situation can be expected in the second half of the week,
The first strong solar flare this month (highest class X) was recorded on March 23 at approximately 5.00 Moscow time. It was accompanied by a large release of plasma. Since the flare and ejection occurred on the Sun-Earth line, the impact on the Earth’s magnetosphere was large. A strong geomagnetic storm – disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field – began on the evening of March 24. Around 17.00 Moscow time, the speed of the solar wind in the vicinity of the Earth almost doubled, to approximately 800 kilometers per second. At the moment of impact, the geomagnetic activity index Kp reached a value of 8 points out of 9 possible, which corresponds to a storm of level G4 (the highest level of G5 was last observed in September 2005).
Previously, scientists reported that the increasing frequency of flares and an increase in their power indicates a gradual approach of the Sun to the peak of activity, which could presumably occur as early as mid-2024, although, according to some forecasts, it could be shifted to 2025.
Solar flares can cause magnetic storms on Earth, which in turn cause disruptions in energy systems and also affect the migration routes of birds and animals. However, if the flare occurs at a significant distance from the Sun-Earth line, it does not affect the planet.
