By JORDAN MARSHALL

Staff Writer

Huge balls of matter the size of Jupiter coming from the outer layer of the sun have been racing toward Earth at 7 million mph since Oct. 22, and all scientists can do is wait and see what happens.

The only things the coronal mass emissions, the huge balls of matter from the sun, can do is mess up power grids or make communication devices a little fuzzy.

Dr. Lee Sawyer, an associate professor of physics, said these geomagnetic storms are not a rare occurrence but are abnormal declining a solar period.

"We are not in a period of high solar activity, and it is unusual for these CMEs to be headed for Earth," Sawyer said.

"The chances of [the CMEs] coming to Earth are fairly slim, so to have a couple in a row come straight at us is pretty unusual."

The first CME hit Earth on Oct. 24, and the second one hit Oct. 29. They have caused little damage, but more CMEs are expected to leave the sun, Sawyer said. He also said the CME that hit Earth on Oct. 29 is the third largest in recorded history.

Sawyer said the geomagnetic storm that hit Oct. 24 only affected cell phone reception. Some students on campus were also affected by the storm.

Paul King, a freshman mechanical engineering major, said he experienced the effects of the storm when his friend tried calling from a cell phone and he could not get in touch with King.

Although King encountered the storm, he said he is not afraid of anything major happening.