Narrow corona mass ejection from Sun, will it impact Earth?

A solar eruption occurred as a result of an M2.1 flare originating from an active region known as AR 3730 on the Sun. This flare was accompanied by a narrow coronal mass ejection (CME) consisting of hot gas from the outer atmosphere of the Sun. However, it is projected that this CME will pass ahead of Earth's orbit without causing severe space weather or geomagnetic storming.

The Sun's recent activity has been relatively calm, with the last major X-class flare recorded on 10th June. Solar flares are categorized on a scale from A to X, accompanied by a numbering system to denote intensity. Flares below category B are considered close to background level activity.

Coronal mass ejections involve the outward ejection of plasma and the magnetic field of the Sun's corona into space. When these ejected materials encounter a planetary magnetic field, such as Earth's, they can induce geomagnetic storming that lasts for extended periods. However, in this case, the narrow CME associated with the recent flare is not expected to cause significant impact.

It is worth noting that a major geomagnetic storm occurred in May, resulting from multiple CMEs interacting and merging with each other. This event marked the most intense geomagnetic storm in two decades.

Looking ahead, the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts low solar activity for the next two days, but M-class flares are still a possibility. The monstrous sunspot cluster AR 3723, which played a role in the historic May geomagnetic storm and the most powerful solar flare of the current solar cycle, has rotated out of view and no longer poses a threat to Earth.

Overall, while a coronal mass ejection associated with the recent solar flare has occurred, it is not projected to have a significant impact on Earth's space weather or geomagnetic conditions.