This is an interesting animation showing a three-axis presentation of recent solar coronal mass ejections. You can click on the image for the full-sized animation.
From SpaceWeather.com:
FOUR CMEs: On Sept. 19th, the STEREO-SOHO fleet of spacecraft surrounding the sun detected six coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Two of the clouds rapidly dissipated. The remaining four, however, are still intact and billowing through the inner solar system.
According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, who prepared the movie, one CME should hit Mercury on Sept. 20th at 05:40 UT while another delivers a glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field on Sept. 22nd at 23:00 UT. All impact times have an uncertainty of plus or minus 7 hrs.
Interesting…
My first question would be to ask, “Should we prepare for something happening on September 22nd ?”
Yet without all this high tech modern science we never knew what hit us in the past. But because we have the high tech means of recording what has probably been going on for centuries, we almost expect something. Does this make sense?
Now that, is cool! Too bad it doesn’t reach any outreach programs 😈
There will probably be little impact other than auroras. SW says “High-latitude sky watchers (on Earth) should be alert for auroras when the CME arrives.”