A SURPRISING Solar Storm brings this rare event to Earth | Tech News

A SURPRISING Solar Storm brings this rare event to Earth

The last solar storm had sparked a strong geomagnetic storm on Earth after it hit the magnetosphere.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Aug 10 2022, 23:52 IST
WARNING! Solar Storm to hit Earth soon
Solar Storm
1/5 According to Spaceweather.com’s report, the new sunspot is so huge that it is even changing the way the sun vibrates. The Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that the geomagnetic field around Earth would be unsettled over the weekend which could disrupt the radio-magnetic sphere. (nasa.gov)
Solar Storm
2/5 Spaceweather.com said, “A high speed stream of solar wind is approaching Earth. Estimated time of arrival: Aug. 9th. The gaseous material is flowing from an equatorial hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.” (SDO/NASA)
Solar Storm
3/5 Solar storms occur due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) that is set off on the surface of the Sun. As per the K-index, which measures the magnetic field around the Earth, solar storms are divided into 5 classes from G-1 to G-5. The G-1 is the lowest impact solar G5 is given to the most severe solar storms. (Pixabay)
Solar Storm
4/5 According to NASA, Sunspots are dark areas on the solar surface which contain strong magnetic fields that are constantly shifting and can form and dissipate over periods of days or weeks. They occur when strong magnetic fields emerge through the solar surface and allow the area to cool slightly. (Pixabay)
Solar Storm
5/5 When solar flares hit Earth, they interact with the Earth’s electromagnetic field to cause a Geomagnetic storm. It may cause blackouts, GPS problems. However, if the solar storm is big enough, it can wreak havoc on all the earth's technological infrastructure. It is also the reason behind the stunning night-sky phenomenon that we know as Auroras or Northern Lights. (Pixabay)
Solar Storm
icon View all Images
A geomagnetic storm hit the Earth a few days back due to a strong solar storm. (@KaniskiDylan / Twitter)

Just a few days ago, a potentially disruptive sunspot had transmitted surprising strong solar winds towards Earth at a striking speed of 372 miles a second! According to space experts, this resulted in sparking a moderately strong G2-class geomagnetic storm on the Earth. A geomagnetic storm, a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere, occurs when there is a remarkably efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind in the direction of Earth.

According to the NOAA Space Weather Scale, a severe geomagnetic storm can even cause radio blackouts on Earth while impacting communication and electric grids. This G2-class geomagnetic storm did not cause any damage to infrastructure, it did result in dazzling colourful auroras all across Canada and the UK. The Space Weather Physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov also re-shared several snaps of the mesmerizing aurora views taken by residents.

“And nothing like an August night, drenched in your loving... Lady aurora made a G1 appearance in the skies over central Alberta this morning,” a Twitterati Jeff Adams said while sharing aurora view. While, in a similar event, a user named Alan Dyer shared one of the rare events of the aurora, named "STEVE", short for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. The SpaceWeather.com report also confirmed that STEVE was visible in Montana and Pennsylvania during the last geomagnetic storm.

“During Monday's surprise geomagnetic storm, hot ribbons of plasma flowed through Earth's magnetosphere. Alan Dyer saw one of them near Gleichen, Alberta,” SpaceWeather.com mentioned.

“Over the past few nights, Alberta has seen active Aurora Displays. This photo shows STEVE, A unique Aurora Phenomenon mostly seen around lower attitudes and discovered right here in Alberta! Taken Sunday night around 1:00 am MST,” Dyer tweeted.

This rare event is a recent discovery, which looks like an aurora, but it is not! According to spaceweather.com, the purple glow is caused by a hot temperature of 3000° Celsius. Ribbons of gas flowing through the magnetosphere of Earth at a lightning speed exceeding 6 km/s! It only appears during a few geomagnetic storms, usually alongside a type of green aurora called the picket fence.

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 10 Aug, 23:52 IST
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS