A coronal deal expulsion from the Sun may end up ruining one of the most anticipated astronomical event of the year .
It ’s been a tense few month for astronomy buff hope to see Comet C/2023 A3 ( Tsuchinshan – ATLAS ) coming up to its close approach to Earth on October 12 . Back in July , analysis by one astronomer showed that the comet was prove sign of possible decay as it moved nigher to the Sun , potentially rob the Earth of a view of the comet’sunusual tail , if it survived the encounter at all .
gratefully , the cometdid live on its encounter , and everything looked rosy-cheeked again . But now , it looks like comet may be back off the carte du jour , after a important coronal heap ejection was hurl by the Sun towards it , and Earth , on Monday .
Sunspot AR3842 producing a coronal mass ejection.Image credit: NASA/SDO
The Sun has been jolly alive of late , around the peak of the 11 - yearsolar hertz , institutionalise geomagnetic storm our way and all theaurora and radio blackoutsthat they entail . On Monday , active sunspot AR3842 erupted , unleash a massive solar flare that caused warm radio set blackouts on Earth , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA)Space Weather Prediction Center .
The flash – a large outburst of radiation fare from the release of magnetic energy – was associated with a coronal mass ejection , and it is this that may cause problem for Comet Tsuchinshan – ATLAS .
" Coronal Mass Ejections ( CMEs ) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetized field from the Sun ’s corona . They can eject trillion of tons of coronal textile and carry an embedded charismatic field of force ( frozen in fluxion ) that is unattackable than the background solar wind interplanetary magnetic field ( IMF ) strength , " theNOAA explains . " CMEs travel outwards from the Sun at speeds ranging from tiresome than 250 km [ 155 miles ] per second ( km / s ) to as riotous as near 3,000 km / s [ 1,864 international mile per second base ] . The fastest dry land - directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little as 15 - 18 hours . slow CMEs can take several day to get in . "
The CME ispredictedby a NASA model to crop Earth recently on Wednesday or early on Thursday , with the Space Weather Prediction Center putting aG3 geomagnetic stormwarning in post , indicate a strong geomagnetic tempest .
" base operator have been send word to mitigate any possible encroachment , " the service explains on its website , adding that there is " some danger for governable exponent fluctuations in the power grid " and there may be " possible tenuous risk of various satellite operations ' effects . Intermittent Global Positioning System degradation [ is also ] possible . "
While this is good news for aurora fan , as strong geomagnetic storm mean dramatic skies , it ’s not looking great for Comet Tsuchinshan – ATLAS . The comet may be hit later today or early Wednesday by the CME , which could potentially rip off its tail . fingerbreadth crossed that does n’t take place , and we can get an even good view of the tail as itshoots off in front of the comet .
