Recently, solar activity has been recorded at terrifying highs. The month-on-month total average sunspot activity has been exceeding the predictions ever since the beginning of 2023. Some researchers believe this is because the real peak of the current solar cycle is likely to be at the end of this year or the beginning of 2024. So, the Earth should prepare for more intense and frequent solar storm events. And today is going to be one of those days as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a warning for a dangerous solar storm today, May 16.
As per a report by SpaceWeather.com, “NOAA forecasters say that a CME could hit Earth’s magnetic field on May 16th. Relatively faint and slow-moving, it was hurled into space on May 12th by an erupting filament of magnetism in the sun’s southern hemisphere”. It also highlighted that the resultant impact was expected to be a G1-class geomagnetic storm.
Tech disruption likely by Solar storm today
Compared to some of the stronger solar storm events that we have seen in the month of May, this particular one is not expected to be too strong. However, even minor storms can cause some serious damage. It can disrupt wireless communications and GPS services, causing trouble for airlines, mariners, ham radio controllers, and drone operators. The solar storm can delay flights, cause ships to change course, and disrupt any important information that is shared through these low-frequency channels. The coronal mass ejection (CME) is likely to strike the Earth in a few hours’ time as per the NOAA models.
This will not be the end of troubles for Earth either. There is a gigantic sunspot that is slowly turning towards the Earth. It is highly active and can spark a series of solar storms towards the Earth.
NASA Tech that predicts solar storms
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) carries a full suite of instruments to observe the Sun and has been doing so since 2010. It uses three very crucial instruments to collect data from various solar activities. They include the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) which takes high-resolution measurements of the longitudinal and vector magnetic field over the entire visible solar disk, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) which measures the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet irradiance and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) which provides continuous full-disk observations of the solar chromosphere and corona in seven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) channels.
Recently, solar activity has been recorded at terrifying highs. The month-on-month total average sunspot activity has been exceeding the predictions ever since the beginning of 2023. Some researchers believe this is because the real peak of the current solar cycle is likely to be at the end of this year or the beginning of 2024. So, the Earth should prepare for more intense and frequent solar storm events. And today is going to be one of those days as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a warning for a dangerous solar storm today, May 16.
As per a report by SpaceWeather.com, “NOAA forecasters say that a CME could hit Earth’s magnetic field on May 16th. Relatively faint and slow-moving, it was hurled into space on May 12th by an erupting filament of magnetism in the sun’s southern hemisphere”. It also highlighted that the resultant impact was expected to be a G1-class geomagnetic storm.
Tech disruption likely by Solar storm today
Compared to some of the stronger solar storm events that we have seen in the month of May, this particular one is not expected to be too strong. However, even minor storms can cause some serious damage. It can disrupt wireless communications and GPS services, causing trouble for airlines, mariners, ham radio controllers, and drone operators. The solar storm can delay flights, cause ships to change course, and disrupt any important information that is shared through these low-frequency channels. The coronal mass ejection (CME) is likely to strike the Earth in a few hours’ time as per the NOAA models.
This will not be the end of troubles for Earth either. There is a gigantic sunspot that is slowly turning towards the Earth. It is highly active and can spark a series of solar storms towards the Earth.
NASA Tech that predicts solar storms
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) carries a full suite of instruments to observe the Sun and has been doing so since 2010. It uses three very crucial instruments to collect data from various solar activities. They include the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) which takes high-resolution measurements of the longitudinal and vector magnetic field over the entire visible solar disk, Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) which measures the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet irradiance and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) which provides continuous full-disk observations of the solar chromosphere and corona in seven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) channels.