On January 4 and 5, a G1-class geomagnetic storm is expected to occur due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun colliding with Earth, which may cause radio blackouts and illuminate the northern sky with vibrant colors.
A coronal mass ejection observed by NASA’s spacecraft orbiting the Sun – (Image: SDO/NASA)
According to Live Science, on January 4, Earth reached its perihelion, the closest point to the Sun for the entire year. At a distance of just 147 million kilometers, our planet inadvertently entered the “red zone”—directly in the line of fire of a “cosmic gun.”
On January 4 and 5, a sphere of solar plasma moving slowly from the Sun will head toward Earth and collide with our planet’s magnetosphere. This event is referred to as a “coronal mass ejection” (CME).
This collision will generate a geomagnetic storm (solar storm) of G1 classification, which, although considered “minor,” is sufficient, according to warnings from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, to disrupt power grids temporarily in certain areas and cause shortwave radio outages.
This solar plasma sphere will also create auroras in the northern regions, particularly in southern parts of the U.S. such as Michigan and Maine.
After the perihelion, Earth will gradually move toward its aphelion on its elliptical orbit, which is expected to occur on July 6. At aphelion, Earth will be more than 4.8 million kilometers farther from the Sun compared to perihelion.
