This NASA research model, prepared on Mar. 15, 2013, from a space weather model known as ENLIL named after the Sumerian storm god, shows the way the CME was expected to travel toward Earth. The view on the left is top down, while the one on the right shows Earth from the side. (Note: repeats four times).Early on Mar. 17, 2013, the coronal mass ejection (CME) from Mar. 15 interacted with the giant magnetic bubble surrounding Earth, the magnetosphere, causing a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Storms of this strength have caused auroras near the poles but have not disrupted electrical systems on Earth or interfered with GPS or satellite-based communications systems.
(Photo Credit: NASA)
Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center