The strongest solar storm in more than two decades has hit the Earth. This has resulted in celestial lights or auroras appearing in skies from Tasmania to the UK. The rare solar storm could continue for several days and cause disruptions to various satellites, satellite and electrical grids.
According to NDTV, the first wave of the solar storm formed at 4pm GMT on Friday (May 10). This has resulted in spectacular celestial lights from Tasmania to the UK. The rare solar storm is expected to continue for a few more days and disrupt the operation of various satellites and electrical grids.
Aurora pictures are being posted on social media from northern Europe and Australia.
https://twitter.com/NASASun/status/1788922548106719238/photo/1
US agency Space Weather Prediction Center National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that due to several Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) explosions of plasma and magnetic fields in the Sun’s corona region eject enormous mass and energy into space at high speeds. The first of which is ejected from the Sun after 1600 GMT. Such geomagnetic storms occur when the Sun emits large amounts of plasma and magnetic field radiation.
In such a situation, satellite operators, airlines and power grids are advised to be alert for possible disruptions caused by changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.
The first geomagnetic storm ‘Halloween Storms’ in October 2003 caused power outages in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa, which was upgraded to an ‘extreme’ geomagnetic storm.
The speed of solar storms is different from the speed of light. Light from the sun takes 8 minutes to reach the earth. But CMEs travel at a more constant speed. Officials estimate the CME’s current speed at an average of 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.
The CME erupted from a giant sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet. As the Sun reached the top of an 11-year cycle, the corona region bursts with plasma and magnetic fields, ejecting huge amounts of mass and energy into space at high speeds.
Matthew Owens, a professor of space physics at the Reading University in Breakshire, England, told AFP that the CME effects would be felt mainly in the northern and southern latitudes of the planet. How far they extend will depend on the ultimate strength of the storm.
He said, ‘My advice would be to go out tonight and have a look because if you can see the aurora, it will be quite spectacular.’ If anyone has eclipse sunglasses. But they can also see the location of the sun’s ‘sunspot’ during the day.
