NASA warns of an approaching solar storm, potentially causing Earthly blackouts and spectacular auroras. Learn about its impact and risks.
NASA has raised a flag about a big solar storm heading towards Earth. They say a huge burst of solar energy happened on May 29, 2024, at 10:37 a.m. ET. This storm is full of super-charged particles and might cause radio problems and make the northern lights, or aurora borealis, super amazing.
These charged particles mess with radio waves, making signals weaker or vanish. The solar flare, named X1.4, got caught on camera by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. Solar flares are like powerful bursts of light and energy from the Sun. While the radiation from these flares can't hurt us directly, it can mess with the part of the atmosphere where GPS and communication signals travel.
The Sun is heading towards a time of maximum solar activity, meaning more solar flares. This happens about every 11 years. Also, a big solar event from Region 3697 is expected to affect Earth's magnetic field around late May 31 to early June 1 (UTC). This might make the northern lights visible in places like New York to Idaho.
Solar flares come in different strengths, from A-class (weakest) to X-class (strongest). Each letter is ten times more powerful than the one before it. So, an X-class flare is super strong.
The strongest one we've recorded with today's tech happened in 2003, going beyond X28. X-class flares can cause long-lasting radiation storms, which can mess up satellites, communication systems, and even stuff like power grids. Back in December 2006, X-class flares caused a solar storm that messed with GPS signals on Earth.
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