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'Snake-Like' Solar Flare Expected To Hit Earth Today In A 'Direct Hit'

'Snake-Like' Solar Flare Expected To Hit Earth Today In A 'Direct Hit'

Scientist Tamitha Skov said the solar storm could cause ‘minor’ disruptions to GPS and radio, while auroras are also expected to be present.

Charisa Bossinakis

Charisa Bossinakis

A NASA forecast has predicted that a ‘snake-like’ solar flare is set to hit the Earth today (July 19).

As.com reports that the NASA forecast model created by the scientist Tamitha Skov said the solar storm thankfully isn't expeced to cause a lot of impact on the blue planet.

The ‘snake’ shaped filament is expected to ‘directly hit’ the Earth at some point in the next few hours and Skov said the solar storm could cause ‘minor’ disruptions to GPS and radio.

The scientist added that auroras are also expected to be present due to the flare.

So you might want to head out to catch a glimpse of this spectacular view if you're close enough to the North or South Pole.

However, according to the website SpaceWeather, the solar storm might also hit later in the next two days.

Skov also posted a follow-up tweet: "The long snake-like filament cartwheeled its way off the Sun in a stunning ballet.

"The magnetic orientation of this Earth-directed solar storm is going to be tough to predict. G2-level (possibly G3) conditions may occur if the magnetic field of this storm is oriented southward!"

The origin of the storm comes from a coronal mass ejection - the release of plasma and magnetic energy, which had broken away from the Sun on July 15, according to The Independent.

The eruptions are said to have the power of releasing 100,000 times more energy than power plants generate in one year.

Astrophotographer Dr Sebastian Voltmer, who has been tracking the storm, told SpaceWeather: “The sheer size of the prominence is impressive.

“It was spectacular to see a very fast moving part of it ejecting and detaching to the side.”

These solar storms are part of the Sun’s 11-year-long cycle, which increases the frequency of solar eruptions hurling towards Earth towards the end of this period.

Earlier this year, residents of Montana witnessed first-hand the impact of these storms as they caused remnants of a Russian rocket booster to fall out of orbit rapidly, according to GBR. 

The American Meteor Society documented around 29 reports of fiery objects as they cast over the sky of the western state.

However, this very well could be the first of many reports.

Featured Image Credit: Dr. Tamitha.Skov / Twitter. Alamy Stock Photo.

Topics: News, World News, NASA, Space, Environment

Charisa Bossinakis is an Associative Journalist at LADbible. Charisa has worked across various media platforms including, print, digital, radio and podcasting while maintaining the highest regard for quality work and integrity. She also covered everything from breaking news, to pop culture, entertainment and politics and is part of the editorial team for LADbible.

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@CBossinakis