Facts Behind The Apocalypse Due to Solar Storm

JAKARTA – As a star that actively radiates energy throughout the solar system, either in the form of electromagnetic waves, or high-energy particles, the Sun has a major influence on what happens in space.

Like some of the Sun’s energy released as an explosion for example, it can have an impact on weather conditions that occur in space.

Likewise, solar flares (explosions in the sun’s atmosphere) and coronal mass ejections coronal mass ejection (CME) itself. Can cause interference with communication, electricity, navigation, and others on Earth. Which often also presents the issue of “apocalypse due to solar storms”.

This influence is real. However, according to Johan Muhammad, Researcher at the Center for Science and Space Research at the Aeronautics and Space Research Organization (LAPAN), solar flares (solar flares and CMEs) only have a small effect on the communication, electricity and navigation problems.

The rest, no impact. Then the issue of “apocalypse due to solar storms”, is more often used to frighten ordinary people or just to be clickbait.

“The sun has a cycle that lasts about 11 years. When it reaches the peak phase of the cycle, activity on the Sun increases so that disturbances to space weather also increase,” said Johan, in the webinar on Space Weather: Research on Services and Benefits.

Johan added, because it is a cycle, the peak of solar activity has occurred repeatedly. And it will happen again when solar activity increases.

However, increased solar activity itself is not always associated with damage. As is the case with solar storms (flares and CME), which can occur not only at the peak of the solar cycle.

In the modern era, solar storms are very common. The number even reaches thousands of times. Therefore, according to Johan, we must be able to understand and observe the behavior of the Sun, in order to anticipate the coming threats that may be caused by the activity of the Sun. Without worry and fear.

“In terms of risk, the adverse effects of solar activity in the Indonesian region (equatorial regions in general) are smaller than the polar regions or high latitudes,” he said.

Meanwhile, another researcher from the LAPAN BRIN Center for Science and Space Research, Fitri Nuraeni added. That the Earth actually has a magnetic field with a current system in it that can act as a shield from the sun’s extreme activity.

Mitigation efforts are also always carried out by LAPAN, to reduce losses due to the impact of space weather by understanding the parameters involved in the process.

One such way is by establishing a space weather condition forecasting service called the Space Weather Information and Forecast Service (SWIFts). Through SWIFtS which can be accessed via the link http://swifts.sains.lapan.go.id/, to be able to see the condition of the sun, geomagnets, and ionosphere today and tomorrow.

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