An explosion can be considered powerful if it lasts for two hours. On August 16, the B1 solar flare lasted even longer. An explosion lasting 2.5 hours sent a powerful shock wave across the Sun’s atmosphere.
There were no sunspots. The explosion took place in an impeccably quiet area of the southern hemisphere of the sun.
A magnetic thread broke, scattering clots of plasma in all directions. Some of these debris formed the core of a coronal mass ejection (CME), which blasted off the sun and is now spreading into the solar system.
Will this blowout hit the Earth?
NASA scientists have no answer to this question yet. CME could strike Earth’s magnetic field in a few days. There is also a chance that he might pass by.
NOAA analysts are modeling the CME trajectory and we hope to get a response soon.