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Scientists are tracking these natural phenomena to better understand how space weather affects our planet’s technology and atmosphere.
Storm warning
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a severe warning of a geomagnetic storm for Thursday and Friday.
The event is related to a coronal mass ejection from the sun, which is expected to reach Earth between Thursday evening and Friday morning.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center classified the storm as G3—a level that can cause significant disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field.
Researchers believe the eruption is heading directly for the planet, although its full strength is still unclear.
Impact
The strength of the storm will be measured as soon as it reaches the observation satellite, which is located about 1.6 million kilometers from Earth.
The data collected there will provide information about the speed and orientation of the solar material, which determines how strongly it interacts with Earth’s atmosphere.
A coronal mass ejection usually arrives in two phases: first, a fast-moving shock front, followed by a slower magnetic cloud.
The second phase can increase geomagnetic activity if its magnetic direction is opposite to that of Earth.
Consequences
According to NOAA, the storm could disrupt high-frequency radio, GPS, and satellite systems.
Power grids could also experience voltage fluctuations, but significant outages are considered unlikely.
The event could also make the aurora borealis visible, even in regions far south of the Arctic Circle.
Until the solar particles reach the monitoring satellite, NOAA recommends following the official announcements from its Space Weather Prediction Center to obtain reliable information about the course of the storm.
The agency emphasized the importance of modern observation systems and confirmed that a replacement for the current SWFO-L1 satellite is already being developed.
The new instruments are designed to improve early warnings and reduce the uncertainties of future forecasts.
- Sources: NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center, Ziare.com/picture: pixabay.com
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