Magnetic storm began on Earth, it may take about a day

The level of magnetic disturbances around 09.00 MSK reached the "red zone". Currently recalculated every three hours the index Kp, characterizing the geomagnetic activity, reached a value of 6. In this scale, there are 10 levels ranging from 0 to 3 correspond to the quiet magnetosphere level 4 – perturbed, and levels 5 through 9 – magnetic storms five classes. Perturbations in the Earth's magnetosphere – the magnetic storms – arise under the action of streams of solar plasma, charged particles emitted Sun. Particle, the "hits" on the magnetosphere, forcing it to vibrate, which can cause disruptions in radio communications. "This storm caused by the impact on the Earth's magnetosphere high-speed solar wind stream from a rather large coronal holes (regions with open magnetic field). Thanks to satellites, "Stereo" (two NASA satellites that monitor the Sun from two opposite sides of Earth's orbit), we forecast it in advance ", – said the director of the Center forecasts of space weather the Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radio Wave Propagation (IZMIRAN) Sergey Gaidash . According to him, four days ago, the coronal hole passed the central meridian of the sun, and just four days is required solar plasma to reach the Earth. "The magnetic storm is over even in those days, but may last a little longer – just outside of this coronal hole is another one – a few less" – a spokesman said. He added that after exactly 27 days – after one revolution around the axis of the Sun, the Earth will again be on the "firing line" coronal hole – a magnetic storm with a sufficiently high degree of probability could happen again. Gaidash noted that the present storm is the strongest since August 2010. Its strength can grow significantly. The last solar storm was the beginning of May this year, but it was quite weak. View weather forecast