A few days ago, a flare on the Sun caused a massive stream of particles directly towards Earth.
Scientists following geomagnetic storms predicted that a solar storm might hit the planet after this event. However, it was not expected that such a strong storm would be encountered.
Analysis shows that the storm is actually the strongest in the last 6 years. It is also the strongest storm produced during the Sun’s final phase, which began in December 2019.
Every 11 years, the star completes a calm or stormy cycle and starts a new one. It is known that the Sun entered its 25th cycle in 2019.
According to the news in Indepentendent, astronomers state that the explosions on the Sun will gradually increase and reach its peak in a few years. Because the Sun is currently in a moving phase.
It comes from a stain 20 times the size of the earth
Explosions on the Sun hurling massive plasmas into space is called a coronal mass ejection (CME). When these plasmas interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and cause temporary disturbances in the magnetosphere, they are called solar storms.
CMEs often appear in Sunspots that appear dark because they are relatively cold relative to their surroundings.
The last CME also occurred in a Sunspot 20 times the size of Earth. This spot had previously created a series of solar storms that were moving at about 2.1 million hours per hour.
“Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation,” NASA says:
Harmful radiation from an explosion cannot physically affect people on the Earth’s surface because it cannot pass through the entire atmosphere of the planet. However, when it is dense enough, it can disrupt the layer through which GPS and communication signals are transmitted.
STORM IS AT G CLASS
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency has classified this intense storm as G4.
Class G4 storms are one of the most powerful streams of plasma from the Sun. These often cause interruptions of several hours in navigation systems and radio communications.
US expert Tamitha Skov said such storms are “almost invisible” and therefore their severity is unpredictable.
These invisible storms are known to start much slower than a typical CME.
About 100 storms occur at the G4 level in each Solar cycle. That’s why scientists say the Earth will face many such storms in the coming years.
