GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: NOAA forecasters say there is an 85% chance of geomagnetic storms on Oct. 30th when a CME (described below) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. It could be a strong storm, category G3, which means auroras could descend to mid-latitudes--places like Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Virginia. The CME's arrival time is uncertain; estimates range from midday on Oct. 30th to the early hours of Oct. 31st. Subscribers to our Space Weather Alert Service will receive a text message when the CME strikes.
THE CORONAL MASS EJECTION: Here it comes. A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched on Oct. 28th by an X1-class solar flare is heading almost directly for Earth. SOHO coronagraphs recorded the CME racing away from the sun faster than 1457 km/s (3.3 million mph):
Current Auroral Oval:
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