[Regnum] The coronal hole on the Sun, which has noticeably expanded over the past month, could cause weak geomagnetic disturbances on Earth this coming weekend—October 18 and 19. This was reported by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to experts, this formation has been observed for several months.
"This hole has been observed since summer and did not affect Earth in previous months, but now it has expanded, and its solar wind stream is capable of hitting the planet," the laboratory noted.
Coronal holes are among the longest-lived structures on the Sun. Due to the star's 27-day rotation, these formations periodically return to the side facing Earth.
According to the latest data, an increase in plasma density in near-Earth space was recorded at midday on October 17, indicating the approach of the main solar wind stream. Its impact on the magnetosphere is expected to begin within the next 24 hours.
Against the backdrop of high solar activity, this hole was considered a secondary feature throughout the week. But now, scientists estimate, it will become the primary source of influence on Earth's geomagnetic environment over the next two days.
However, researchers noted that weather-sensitive people have nothing to worry about yet, as the hole is relatively small and its impact is expected to be weak.