Solar Storm Hits Earth

By Isabelle Parker

A filament in the sun's atmosphere has exploded, sending a mass ejection of solar wind barreling towards Earth. Solar filaments are arcs of electrified gas or plasma that worm their way through the sun's atmosphere. They are supported by the sun's intense magnetic field. One of these filaments erupted, carving out a 384,400 kilometre long and 20,000 kilometre deep canyon on the sun's surface. The explosion has sent solar material towards Earth. This will compress the Earth's magnetic field and cause colourful auroras similar to the Northern Lights to appear near the South and North Poles. The storm was classified as G1, meaning it is weak.