Geomagnetic Onslaught Resumes

As the lead up to the 2013 solar maximum continues, another Sunspot cluster has shot two coronal mass ejections (CME) straight for Earth. Both CMEs should reach Earth on June 16. A similar cluster was responsible for two weeks of flares in March. The first flare occured on June 13 when Sunspot AR1504 produced an M1 [...]

STEREO A caught the June 14 CME at just the right angle (Credits: NASA).
As the lead up to the 2013 solar maximum continues, another Sunspot cluster has shot two coronal mass ejections (CME) straight for Earth. Both CMEs should reach Earth on June 16. A similar cluster was responsible for two weeks of flares in March.
The first flare occured on June 13 when Sunspot AR1504 produced an M1 class flare – a mid-level flare not likely to do serious damage to electrical or space assets. The same spot released a second M1 class flare on June 15. Although Earth is mostly protected by its magnetosphere, both Venus and Mars are expected to lose some of their unprotected atmospheres to the duo.
Likely progression of the June 16 geomagnetic storm (Credits: Spaceweather.com).
The region of the Sun around AR1504 has developed a ...