CME from solar flare heading towards earth – Sansa
Following the eruption of an “active region” near the centre of the sun on September 10, the South African National Space Agency (Sansa) has cautioned that a solar flare, accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), is travelling towards earth at an estimated 1 493 km/s and is expected to impact the earth’s magnetic field today.
A CME is a massive cloud of high energy particles ejected from the surface of the sun when stored energy is suddenly released.
When the magnetic field of a CME interacts with the earth’s magnetic field, it causes a temporary disturbance known as a geomagnetic storm.
Sansa noted that the impact of a CME would not harm humans and other life forms on earth, as we were protected by the earth's magnetic field.
“However, it may disturb our satellite communication systems, such as global positioning system, radio communications, Internet, cellphones and satellite television. Moderate disturbances are expected at this stage,” it stated.
The agency, which noted that it would continuously monitor the CME, said its impact could spark a moderate geomagnetic storm between today and Sunday with an estimated Kp-value of six.
Comments
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation