Specialists from the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the IKI RAN and ISZF SB RAS recorded on July 31 two successive prominences that erupted from the northeastern edge of the Sun. The size of each ejection reached approximately 1 million km. According to scientists, the difference between the events was about an hour, while the prominences were almost identical in scale and place of origin.
The first ejection stood out with a particularly expressive form — under the influence of magnetic forces, the plasma twisted into a configuration resembling the number eight. Researchers noted that at a superficial glance, both phenomena can be mistaken for a repetition of the same event.
Both ejections occurred on the edge of the solar disk, which excludes the possibility of their impact on Earth. The direction of plasma movement — approximately at an angle of 90 degrees from the Sun–Earth line — will take it to a distance of tens or even hundreds of millions of kilometers from the planet.
As clarified in the laboratory, the Sun has already ejected about five massive prominences in July, and none of them reached Earth. The last time a similar phenomenon directly affected the planet was on May 31: then the plasma ejection caused the strongest magnetic storm of the year at level G4. Since then, all bursts of solar activity have passed by.
The observation data emphasize the high activity of the Sun in the current cycle, as well as the importance of constant monitoring, which allows timely assessment of possible geomagnetic consequences for the Earth.
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