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Another massive geomagnetic storm is on its way towards Earth, the second in five months. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a warning about the latest solar storm on Wednesday. 

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NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said that a G1, or minor, storm is likely to hit Earth on Thursday, October 3. A stronger solar storm, a G3, could hit later on Friday, October 4. 

A major explosion reportedly happened on the Sun's surface on Tuesday, triggering the second most powerful solar flare in the past few years. According to NOAA, the flare originated in a solar region which houses numerous sunspots. This ferocious area is called Active Region 3842, and the solar flare was rated an X7.1. 

Flares are rated based on their severity, with the weakest being classified as b-class flares and the strongest as x-class flares.

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Each letter marks a 10-fold increase in power over the one lower on the scale. Therefore, the latest X7.1 solar flare is extremely strong and has been described as the second most powerful of the current solar cycle.

Geomagnetic storms are the result of blasts on the Sun’s surface. These storms create solar flares, sending out huge amounts of plasma into space. These solar particles hit the planet’s atmosphere, disrupting communication systems.

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NOAA had earlier said that the latest event on the Sun's surface could lead to coronal mass ejection (CME), shooting out huge plumes of plasma and solar particles into space. 

How severe is new solar storm?

A geomagnetic storm is coming our way and the severity will be “dependent upon the orientation of the embedded magnetic field,” according to the alert.

Electrical systems, such as power grids and satellites, are likely to face the brunt of the solar storm and can be disrupted. 

The solar storm will bring with it beautiful auroras which are likely to be visible over many of the northern US states, the lower Midwest, and even Oregon.

Solar activity witnesses an 11-year cycle and our Sun is currently in the middle of its twenty-fifth cycle. Tuesday’s solar flare was the second most powerful recorded since the new cycle started in 2020.

While astronomers believed it would be a mild one, we have already witnessed extreme solar events this year, including a severe geomagnetic storm back in May which brought with it widespread auroras.

The strongest solar flare, an X8.7, of this cycle, was recorded a few days later.