A Solar Storm will hit the earth around this week, leading to potential disruptions of satellite and radio operations.
Specialists predict it could likewise bring about minor geomagnetic storms, and it comes following a “sun burp” that happened on Friday.
“The long snake-like filament cartwheeled its off track the sun in a stunning ballet,” US based space climate physicist Dr Tamitha Skov said.
Dr Skov said the solar storm will be a “direct hit” with Earth.
While initial predictions were for impact on Tuesday, Australian astrophysicist Dr Brad Tucker said the storm is slow moving and impact is now expected on Thursday or Friday.
“A solar storm is basically a sun burp. The sun goes through little eruptions constantly and when it does it releases plasma,” he said.
“It’s a stream of particles from the sun, it’s basically energy.”
Dr Tucker, who is based at the Australian National University’s Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, said solar storms are firmly observed as they can possibly cause critical interruption.
“The sun goes through a 11-year cycle and we’re currently getting into the area of more activity,” he said.
“It’s because of peak in mid-2025 ish.”
Large solar storms can cause widespread blackouts and significant disruptions to satellites.
“There’s much more satellites and activity in space since the sun was last active seven years ago,” he said.
“For the most part on Earth we’re protected, other than the auroras, yet interference with satellites is our biggest concern.”
A report from the Australian Academy of Science released in January, said solar storms could impact a number of areas.
“Solar eruptions trigger magnetic storms and space weather events which can damage satellites and affect their orbits; degrade radio communications link, over-the-horizon radar operations and GNSS services; impact aviation; and damage long pipelines and electricity distribution grids,” the report stated.
“Space weather monitoring and forecasting is therefore critical to maintaining the integrity of space-related services in Australia,” it said.
The “major” tempest will see a brief unsettling influence of Earth’s magnetosphere, brought about by a sunlight based breeze shock wave connecting with Earth’s attractive field.
It comes after a “sun burp” on Friday, a tremendous eruption of heavenly material and attractive fields from the outer layer of the sun.
Swinburne University Astrophysicist Sara Webb says while the tempest will be an immediate hit with Earth, there’s no reason to worry.
“It can innately sound startling and frightening yet nothing remains to be stressed over at this time,” she said.
“It’s simply something that our sun does however it gets interesting when we have technology up over the Earth.”
Sun burps aren’t all awful information, especially for eager star-gazers.
Energy and little particles brought towards Earth in solar storms can go down the attractive field lines at the north and south poles and into our atmosphere.
There, they can interface with gases and make auroras!
