Severe Solar Storm Hits Earth, Stunning Auroras Light Up Skies – NOAA Issues Warning

Since Friday night, a “severe” solar storm has been hitting Earth, the first of its kind since 2003, and its beautiful aurora lights have lit up the skies of many countries around the world, but he has also raised concerns about its potential impact. on electronic networks and communication systems. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA).
Sharjah 24 – AFP:

The US Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Agency (NOAA) announced that the geomagnetic solar storm that has been hitting the Earth since Friday night; It is a grade five on a 5-point scale, which is defined as “severe.”

“GPS, power grids, spacecraft, satellite navigation and other technologies could be affected,” she said.

The group pointed out that the storm was caused by a series of coronal mass ejections from the Sun to Earth.

John Dahl of the US Space Agency’s Space Climate Prediction Center explained at a press conference on Friday that this is a “burst of energetic particles and magnetic fields from the Sun”.

The storm is expected to continue through the weekend as more of these releases arrive, according to the agency.

The last event to reach level five was in October 2003, and was a “Halloween Solar Storm,” according to the group.

That year, power outages were recorded in Sweden, and electrical transformers were damaged in South Africa, according to what the US agency confirmed.

The same source explained that the first “very strong” emissions hit Earth at around 16:30 GMT on Friday.

The sun is currently approaching the maximum level of activity according to a cycle that repeats itself every 11 years. These large coronal discharges, at least seven of which are directed towards the Earth, originate from a sunspot with a diameter 17 times greater than the diameter of the Earth.

Unlike solar flares, which travel at the speed of light and reach Earth within about eight minutes, large coronal discharges travel more slowly, with an average speed of about 800 kilometers per second.

In addition to their potential effects on lightning systems, these major solar storms produce spectacular auroras, sometimes reaching areas further south than those normally seen in the usual times of the year.