Monday, March 11, 2024

Is There A Solar Storm Coming

An ‘internet Apocalypse’ Could Ride To Earth With The Next Solar Storm New Research Warns

Solar Storm in 2021 coming for Earth

6 September 21

The underwater cables that connect nations could go offline for months, the study warns.

The sun is always showering Earth with a mist of magnetized particles known as solar wind. For the most part, our planet’s magnetic shield blocks this electric wind from doing any real damage to Earth or its inhabitants, instead sending those particles skittering toward the poles and leaving behind a pleasant aurora in their wake.

But sometimes, every century or so, that wind escalates into a full-blown solar storm and, as new research presented at the SIGCOMM 2021 data communication conference warns, the results of such extreme space weather could be catastrophic to our modern way of life.

In short, a severe solar storm could plunge the world into an “internet apocalypse” that keeps large swaths of society offline for weeks or months at a time, Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi, an assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine, wrote in the new research paper. .

“What really got me thinking about this is that with the pandemic we saw how unprepared the world was. There was no protocol to deal with it effectively, and it’s the same with internet resilience,” Abdu Jyothi told WIRED. “Our infrastructure is not prepared for a large-scale solar event.”

The good news is, local and regional internet connections are likely at low risk of being damaged because fiber-optic cables themselves aren’t affected by geomagnetically induced currents, according to the paper.

Solar Storms Or Cmes Are Not A New Phenomenon And They Occur From Time To Time

The coronal mass ejection is belived to have escaped the Sun earlier this to week

  • The solar storm will likely hit Earth by December 11
  • CME was ejected from the Sun earlier this week
  • It may cause mild disturbance to radio and GPS services

NASA has warned about the potential impacts of swirling Sun debris” created by a solar storm likely to hit the Earth by December 11. The agency said a coronal mass ejection of plasma and magnetic field escaped the Sun earlier this week and is expected to possibly strike by Saturday. Astronomers and space scientists say the NASA warning suggests the recent filament eruption is likely to give a glancing blow to the south of Earth. There is likely to be a mild disturbance to radio and GPS services but the aurora, a natural light display in Earth’s sky, will possibly be visible in high altitude regions.

Dr Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, told the Express that this CME could cause mild disruption to the southern part of Earth. NASA predictions show a recent filament eruption looks to deliver a glancing blow to the south of Earth by late December 11. Expect a mild disturbance, but the aurora is possible at high latitudes with sporadic amateur radio and GPS issues on Earth’s nightside, Skov said.

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In an interview for NextGov.com in May, Dr. Scott McIntosh, deputy director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told Dana A. Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, that the suns current electromagnetic cycle, which lasts about 11 years, is projected to be a doozy.

We have every reason to believe that the current solar cycle which began in December 2019 could be the most active since the 1970s. This is a particular concern for the GPS, said McIntosh, who estimated a 35% to 45% chance a CME will disrupt Global Positioning System service, for potentially several days, sometime during the next decade.

He continued, Strong solar storms can charge the atmosphere and prevent signals from getting through for days. The strongest can damage or even destroy satellites.

Researchers, as well as lawmakers, have discussed GPS alternatives in the past, prompting Congress to pass the National Timing Resilience and Security Act in 2018, asking the Department of Transportation to devise terrestrial backup for global navigation services, in the event satellites are rendered useless. Despite concerns, no progress has been made, according to RNTs Goward.

Even with the most concerted government efforts, five or six years will be needed to establish systems and encourage, or where needed, require, users to protect themselves and vital services, warned Goward. Such a timeline will take us well into the coming solar danger zone.

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Another Solar Storm Could Hit Earth On Friday Unleashing Northern Lights And Power Grid Chaos

  • 10:13 ET, Oct 13 2021

A SOLAR storm that could create stunning Northern Lights-like displays is expected to pass by Earth on Friday.

Experts think there’s a chance a solar flare eruption could cause a geomagnetic storm at the end of the week but it’s more likely to cause a pretty aurora than mess with our power.

Read our Solar Storm live blog for the latest updates…

A huge solar storm hit Earth on Monday and treated parts of UK and parts of North America to a Northern Lights-like display.

That storm was rated as ‘moderate’ and the next storm may have even less of an impact.

Spaceweather.com said: “Another CME is coming, but this one might miss. A magnetic filament connected to sunspot AR2882 erupted on Oct. 12th .

“The debris is expected to pass in front of Earth on Oct. 15th. The near-miss could spark Arctic auroras, but probably no geomagnetic storm.”

A CME is a type of solar flare called a coronal mass ejection – a huge expulsion of plasma from the Sun’s outer layer, called the corona.

Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth

A Dangerous Solar Storm Is Coming

A large solar flare yesterday triggered a coronal mass ejection travelling at 1400 km/s that will reach Earth today. An energetic eruption of this level can disrupt satellites, so operation teams at ESA and other organisations are closely monitoring the storm.

A coronal mass ejection is a huge cloud of magnetised plasma from the Sun’s atmosphere the corona thrown into interplanetary space. They often occur in association with a solar flare. This ejection was detected by the ESA/NASA SOHO and NASA Stereo spaceborne solar observatories.

CMEs can produce geomagnetic storms when they reach Earth, between two and six days after leaving the Sun.

The solar flare, at 03:59 GMT on Monday, also triggered the strongest stream of protons seen since 2005.

It is likely to cause a minor geomagnetic storm that is not expected to have any serious effect on ground infrastructure such as phone networks, but it might trigger auroral displays at high latitudes.

While the flare was stronger than average and the proton storm is the first strong one in seven years, no visible effects on the ground are expected.

Images of the Sun, the source of the flare and the CME are available via the SOHO mission page . ESA’s Proba-2 satellite is also returning images.

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The Biggest Geomagnetic Storm In Recorded History Happened More Than 150 Years Ago Now Were Entering Yet Another Period Of Solar Maximum

It was just another September night in 1859 when Richard Carrington and Richard Hodgson witnessed a remarkable event. The British astronomers werent together, but both happened to be peering at the Sun through telescopes at the precise moment that a massive ejection spewed from the fiery star. Within a few days, others on Earth noticed colorful aurora streaking across the skies and telegraph lines the advanced technology of the day in Europe and North America erupting in sparks.

The solar flare came to be known as the Carrington Event, named after one of the two astronomers who first described it. Despite occurring more than 150 years ago, it still stands as the strongest known geomagnetic storm .

Earth has felt the effects of a few significant geomagnetic storms since then, all of which caused power blackouts and satellite damage. As a result, power companies and satellite manufacturers have built resistance into our technology. But what would happen if another Carrington Event-level solar flare occurred today? Would we be ready for it?

According to Alexa Halford, an associate chief of the Heliophysics Science Division at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, the answer is a cautious affirmative. Theres still a lot to learn, she says, but weve had success.

Geomagnetic Storm To Hit Earth Today Heres How You Can Be Affected

hindustantimes.com

A geomagnetic storm is set to hit Earth on Saturday after the Sun blasted out millions of tons of ionised gas from one of five sun-spot clusters late on Thursday and may affect GPS signals, satellites and the electricity grid. The solar storm could also touch off geomagnetic activity that could make the Northern Lights visible as far south as the Hudson Valley New York.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration captured a “significant solar flare” erupting from the Sun. The US space agency said on Friday that the Sun on Thursday emitted an X1-class flare. “POW! The sun just served up a powerful flare,” Nasa tweeted.

Nasa says X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strengthan X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, etc.

When the solar flare powerful bursts of radiationerupted on Thursday, it caused a strong radio blackout storm, which can disrupt some high-frequency radio broadcasts and low-frequency navigation.

Spaceweather.com reported that the flare originated from a sunspot called AR2887 currently positioned in the centre of the Sun and facing the Earth, based on its location.

The US Space Weather Prediction Center said the X1-class flare caused a temporary, yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of Earth-centered on South America.

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Huge Solar Storm Hitting Earth Today Could Cause Mass Disruption For Power Grids And Satellites Agency Warns

An enormous solar flare is expected to hit Earth today, potentially affecting power grids and generating an aurora in northern latitudes.

The coronal mass ejection originates from the Sun, which is caused by a huge burst of electrically conducting plasma.

An alert published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration informed that we should expect weak power grid fluctuations and satellite orientation irregularities which could increase drag on craft in low Earth orbit.

The agency rates the storm as G2, which means it is moderately strong. It is expected to arrive around midday and will continue until 12 October.

“Aurora is possible through 11th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely, the Met Office said, as reported by Sky.

“There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, but cloud breaks and therefore sightings are more likely in Northern Ireland.”

While this storm will be relatively weak, the planet is not ready for the height of a more powerful superstorm.

On 15 May, 1921, multiple fires broke out in electricity and telegraph control rooms in several parts of the world, including in the US and the UK, due to the strength of the New York Railroad Storm.

Storms like these happen once in every 100 years, and could plunge the world into an internet apocalypse, one study has claimed.

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  • The American agency confirmed that the phenomenon lasted for a few hours and slightly unsettled the Earth’s magnetic field

As per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , a dense stream of solar wind enveloped the Earth late on 14 July, but no notable impact was observed as the phenomenon wasn’t particularly powerful on the space weather scale.

The American agency confirmed that the phenomenon lasted for a few hours and slightly unsettled the Earth’s magnetic field.

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The solar storm passed through the planet at 16:41 UTC with a geomagnetic K-index of 4. The K-index is used to characterise the magnitude of geomagnetic storms, and a level of 4 indicates minor disturbance, as per the NOAA alert.

The US agency stated that weak power grid fluctuations happened due to the solar storm, and expected auroras to be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska. However, the local US media has not reported any such sightings.

All about the solar storm

The massive solar storm, which moved towards the Earth at a speed of 1.6 million kilometres per hour, was supposed to hit the Earth last week, following which a power failure around the globe was expected, according to spaceweather.com.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reportedly classified the solar storm as G-1 or ‘minor’.

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What are geomagnetic storms?

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What Is A Solar Storm

The sun is mainly composed of superheated gases called plasma surrounding a core and sometimes, due to a disturbance caused on its surface, there can be events leading to a massive outburst of energy across the outermost layer of the sun called the heliosphere, thereby affecting the whole solar system.

These outbursts of energy from the heliosphere are what is known as solar storms. While most of them are insignificant to our daily lives, a few massive ones can wreak havoc in no time.

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In other news, William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series, will fly to the edge of space today on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.

Nasa is gearing up to launch a spacecraft that will crash into as asteroid as part of a trial of a new planetary defence system.

And, we looked at some of the current ‘evidence’ for alien life.

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How Solar Storms Impact Human Health

Solar storms could generate radiations that are dangerous to people and can cause organ damage, radiation sickness, and cancer if they are exposed to them.

Solar flares pose no major harm to humans on the ground, according to most specialists. This is because the Earth’s atmosphere functions as a shield for living things, absorbing the majority of the radiation.

On the other hand, passengers on planes may face some health hazards if they fly during a solar storm. According to studies, pilots are more likely to develop cataracts. Passengers and staff may be exposed to high levels of radioactivity. As a result, planes are occasionally redirected to avoid any radiation exposure caused by solar storms.

Astronauts in space may confront greater danger than those on Earth’s surface.

While most experts believe that solar storms do not have a significant impact on human health, some doubt that they are entirely safe. Interactions between geomagnetic disturbances and the autonomic nervous system are likely to induce a cascade of reactions in the body’s electrophysiology that culminate in the collapse of organ functions and death, BioMedCentral said.

The Claim: A Massive Solar Storm Is Imminently Approaching Earth

Solar storm just misses Earth but nobody knew it was ...

Sweltering temperatures are being felt in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada due to an unprecedented heat wave that started around the end of June. Hundreds of people have died so far, as have millions of shellfish boiled alive off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia.

One might think the sun, our planet’s source of heat, is responsible, and it may be, but only very slightly. The actual culprit is a high-pressure system, or anticyclone, that’s essentially a mountain of warm air built into a wavy jet stream.

The sun, however, could be responsible for something more destructive and imminent, claim many on social media.

“A massive solar storm heading towards Earth could affect GPS, internet and satellites,” reads an image shared that has received nearly 500,000 interactions, according to CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned social media analytics tool.

claims the event has experts worried the storm’s “strong winds may trigger a geomagnetic storm in Earth’s atmosphere,” and may even have a more widespread terrestrial impact by knocking out “power grids in some parts of the world.”

USA TODAY has reached out to the posters for comment.

This all sounds very concerning. But the posts’ portends of a looming solar-related disaster aren’t at all true.

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Before An Extreme Solar Event

Weather.govSafetySpace Weather Resources

Space weather can have an impact on our advanced technologies, which have a direct impact on our daily lives. To begin preparing for the potential loss of electrical power in an extreme geomagnetic storm case, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan. Other steps you should take to prepare for an emergency:

What Is The Expected Power Outage

Space weather physics warns Tamitha SkovWhich showed the regions of the planet most affected. Expect amateur radio blackout on the day side of the earth, particularly the USA, Canada, South America, Western Europe and Africa. GPS reception problems until near sunrise and sunset in the next hour!, reports Prophet. In short, the northern lights are visible even at lower-than-normal latitudes, but reception problems between electronic devices and radio communications can lead to complete blackouts. However, says the expert, with regard to Italy, the problems can be marginal: the United Kingdom and the Iberian Peninsula are most affected. Since this is a very strong storm, minor storms may also occur in the next few days, such as a bit when there is a strong earthquake followed by aftershocks.

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