A Cannibal CME is Approaching Earth

One CME left the sun on July 14th, followed by a second faster CME on July 15th. According to a NOAA model, the second CME will sweep up the first, forming a ’cannibal CME’ that hits Earth on July 18th. Cannibal CMEs are fast coronal mass ejections that sweep up slower CMEs in front of them. The mish-mash contains tangled magnetic fields and compressed plasmas that can spark strong geomagnetic storms. If the NOAA model is correct, the density of solar wind plasma around Earth could increase 8-fold when the CME arrives, while the solar wind speed will top 650 km/s. These events would set the stage for G1– to G2-class geomagnetic storms. Thanks for watching! #cannibalcme #solarstorm #spaceweather Images credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab, SOHO/LASCO, NOAA/SWPC Music credit: YouTube Audio Library Alpha Mission - Jimena - Contreras