A Huge Cannibal Coronal Mass Ejection From The Sun Will Slam Into Earth Today

A duo of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is projected to combine into one "cannibal" CME before impacting Earth later today. The combo could potentially cause a very strong geomagnetic storm here on Earth.

NASA describes a CME as a magnetically generated solar phenomenon that can hurl billions of tons of solar particles, or plasma, into outer space, and that can reach Earth within one to three days later. A strong CME can cause disruptions in electronic systems in satellites, as well as radio blackouts, disruptions to power grids, and the awe-inspiring auroras seen across the night skies. Today's CME is considered to be a cannibal CME, created when an initial CME is followed by a second faster one that eventually catches up and consumes the first one, creating one massive wave of plasma.

The first CME was emitted alongside a dark eruption by the Sun on July 14th. This CME originated from sunspot AR3370, considered to have been a small and unremarkable sunspot prior to the eruption on the 14th, according to spaceweather.com. The second faster CME occurred on July 15th and is expected to catch up to the first one, creating the cannibal CME that is projected to strike Earth's atmosphere sometime today.

The July 14th CME is also considered to be one of the most visually dramatic eruptions of Solar Cycle 25, with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recording the event. Newer images from the European Space Agency and NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have confirmed that the initial eruption did in fact produce a CME.

While cannibal CMEs are rare, there have been several over the last few years. These immensely strong coronal mass ejections become more frequent as the peak of the sun's 11-year cycle grows closer. Scientists had predicted the peak to occur sometime in 2025, but some are now saying it could arrive sooner and be more powerful than previously thought.

As the sun continues to approach the peak in its cycle, and the number of sunspots continues to increase, there will surely be more of these extraordinarily strong CMEs being slung toward Earth.