Weeklong geomagnetic storm alert issued

Coronal mass ejection recorded by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory on June 6 (Click "reload" on browser to replay animation)

June 7, 2000
Web posted at: 3:59 p.m. EDT (1959 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center has issued an outlook for strong geomagnetic storms during a weeklong period beginning Wednesday. A category G3 storm is predicted for Thursday and Friday.

Geomagnetic storms occur when bubbles of charged gas erupt off the sun, washing out over the planets in the solar system. The Earth's natural electromagnetic field shields the planet from the most harmful effects of the storm, but some adverse consequences may occur.

The NOAA Space Weather Scale rates geomagnetic storms on a scale of G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).

Category G3 storm levels may cause the following effects:

	MESSAGE BOARD
Stargazing

Power system grids may require voltage corrections, and false alarms may be triggered on grid protection devices.

A solar flare erupts from the upper left central region of the sun, right before a powerful coronal mass ejection

Solar observatory films planet parade
May 8, 2000

Space Weather
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
NOAA Space Environment Center

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