Growing sunspot about to face Earth - Space Bollyinside - BollyInside

Sunspots are darker, cooler areas on the surface of the Sun; they generally occur over regions of intense magnetic activity, and when that energy is released, solar flares and large storms called coronal mass ejections (CME) erupt.  When a large solar flare or CME is ejected in the direction of Earth, that stream of energy can bring about a variety of impacts ranging from active aurora at northern latitudes to significant destruction of all things electrical / electronic planet-wide.

A large disturbance erupting from the Sun could create a Geomagnetic storm on the Earth.  Geomagnetic storms are rated on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the weakest and 5 having the most potential for damage.

Even a  G1 geomagnetic storm could create issues:  there could be weak power grid fluctuations and minor impacts on satellite operations.

Impacts and aurora change as the geomagnetic storm scale increase.

When these energized particles interact with the outer reaches of our atmosphere, the aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) and the aurora australis (the Southern Lights) can result