A massive hole in the Sun’s atmosphere is causing a rush of solar wind toward Earth. This coronal hole, located near the equator, spans over 62 Earth diameters (nearly 500,000 miles) and is producing fast-moving plasma that could impact our planet by Friday. Scientists at NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory have captured extreme ultraviolet images of this enormous area in the Sun’s outer atmosphere.
Coronal holes are regions where the Sun’s magnetic fields allow solar wind to escape into space. They typically appear cooler and darker than surrounding areas because they lack the usual hot plasma. During the decline of the Sun’s solar cycle, these holes are most common. The fast-moving plasma from this hole—blowing out at more than 310 miles per second—is expected to reach Earth, potentially causing geomagnetic storm G1 conditions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) classifies such storms using a G-scale, with G1 being the least severe. Under G1 conditions, minor effects like power grid fluctuations could occur alongside satellite impacts or auroras in high latitudes, including northern Michigan and Maine. However, space weather remains unpredictable, so any warnings should be taken as estimates rather than certainties.
Source: https://www.chron.com/news/space/article/sun-hole-solar-storm-20060834.php