GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G1): Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible late on Nov. 25th through 26th when two CMEs might graze Earth's magnetic field. Both were hurled into space by magnetic filaments erupting from the sun earklier this week. This is a low-confidence forecast; multiple overlapping CMEs have left the sun in recent days, making it difficult to unravel their trajectories. CME alerts: SMS Text
SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE ON THE SUN: But what? The face of the sun is peppered with active regions and unstable magnetic filaments. This image from Mike Borman of Evansville, Indiana, shows some of the possible blast sites:
All of the dark diagonal filaments in Borman's photo are unstable and capable of flinging CMEs into space. However, the most dangerous potential blast sites are circled. Those are sunspots with delta-class magnetic fields; mixed magnetic polarities are bumping together, creating conditions suitable for powerful X-class solar flares. If such an explosion occurs this weekend, it will be geoeffective because the sunspots are facing Earth. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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