In the period from March 19 to March 21, the Earth will be in the active phase of a magnetic storm. On these days, two of the most powerful solar plasma ejections will approach the planet, according to the Institute of Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics.
Experts recorded a series of flares on the Sun earlier this week. Plasma flows headed towards Earth and will reach the magnetosphere in the coming hours. The situation was aggravated by large coronal holes on the side of the star facing the planet — they accelerated the solar wind and increased the density of the particle flux.
Scientists predict that geomagnetic disturbances will last about six days — until March 24. After the peak days, from March 22 to March 24, a weaker "tail" of the storm will remain under the influence of coronal holes. The current storm will be the strongest since mid-January.
Some of the flares will shift to the evening and night hours. This will increase the likelihood of observing auroras. With this intensity, the glow can drop to latitudes of 50–55 degrees. The nearest "window" for observations is expected on the night of Friday.