Significant Solar Flare Causes Concern for Earth’s Magnetic Field and Radio Frequencies

The so-called radio burst, a phenomenon in which a huge amount of energy is released in the form of radio waves, was extremely powerful and affected even higher radio frequencies on Earth, she said average.

Scientists are now studying the region of the Sun in its northwestern part where the eruption occurred. They find out whether the coronal mass ejected from the Sun is heading towards the Earth. This would trigger a geomagnetic storm on Earth, as a result of which high-frequency radio connections could fail in the following days, especially in higher latitudes.

NASA captured the solar flare via a satellite specifically designed for observing the Sun, located in high Earth orbit. The satellite detected an eruption in the extreme ultraviolet radiation field.

The Sun is currently nearing the peak of its cycle, which is approximately 11 years long. Scientists expect the greatest activity on the surface of the Sun in 2025.

Already at the end of November, the Earth was hit by solar storms, which scientists warned could disrupt radio and GPS signals. According to foreign media that’s what NASA said today, saying it was a series of minor storms.

According to expert Tamitha Skov, intense auroras can occur during a solar storm, lighting up the sky due to the intense interaction of CMEs with the thermospheric layer of the atmosphere, where ions can move freely.

Solar storms usually disrupt radio and GPS signals. A strong eruption of plasma and magnetic fields from the solar corona can interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and ionosphere, leading to geomagnetic storms and the aforementioned auroras.

Widespread solar storms can usually cause internet disruptions and outages in various regions. However, their effects usually only last for a few hours.

At least three coronal mass ejections took place on the Sun at the end of November. A CME can take 1 to 3 days to enter Earth’s atmosphere.

A coronal mass ejection (CME = coronal mass ejection) is a region of plasma and magnetic field that is ejected from the solar corona into space. The solar corona is the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere that extends far beyond the solar photosphere.

A CME is a large flow of ionized matter that escapes from the Sun and can be ejected into the surrounding space. These outflows can carry large amounts of solar mass and magnetic fields.

During a CME, there is a sudden change in the solar atmosphere that can have various consequences for the environment in space and especially for the Earth’s magnetosphere. When they reach Earth, CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms.

These storms can affect Earth’s magnetic field and cause auroras, but they can also disrupt Earth’s electrical systems, satellites, and communications.

2023-12-16 12:50:00
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