After an unremarkable weekend, solar activity is again picking up speed. Last week, we witnessed two separate radio blackout events triggered by an X-class solar flare and an M-class solar flare. While the CME escaped the Earth and no solar storms were to be seen, this week the fear is far greater. A sunspot in Earth’s view named AR3340 has gone unstable and is now harboring a delta-class magnetic field, which is a big catalyst for solar flare eruptions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that an M-class solar flare can erupt today. Such eruptions are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), that are fully capable of bringing a powerful solar storm to the Earth.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, “Growing sunspot AR3340 has developed a ‘delta-class’ magnetic field that harbors energy for strong solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares and a 10% chance of X-flares”.
Solar flares expected today
A solar flare should not be taken lightly. The extreme ultraviolet radiation that emerges from the explosion causes a temporary disruption for low-frequency radio waves that are used by aviators, drone pilots, amateur radio operators, small ships and boats, and others. Such disruptions affect their operations, and on rare occasions, can also affect rescue missions as emergency services also use these channels for communication.
But the biggest threat is from a possible solar storm if a CME cloud comes rushing towards the Earth. Last week’s CME hit Venus and eroded a small portion of its atmosphere due to its strong impact. Luckily, the Earth was not in its path. A similar solar storm on Earth can have a devastating impact. They can damage small satellites, impact mobile networks, GPS, and even pose a threat to ground-based electronics and power grids by increasing the magnetic potential by huge amounts.
NASA STEREO spacecraft’s role in solar observation
The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) is a pair of twin spacecraft that were launched in 2006 to study the Sun and its effects on Earth. The two spacecraft, STEREO-A, and STEREO-B, are in different orbits around the Sun, which allows them to view the Sun from different perspectives. This provides scientists with a stereoscopic view of solar phenomena, such as solar storms and CMEs.
Some of its main instruments include SECCHI (Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation), a suite of four instruments that study the Sun’s atmosphere and the solar wind; IMPACT (In-situ Measurements of Particles and CME Transients), an instrument that measures the composition and dynamics of the solar wind; PLASTIC (Plasma and Suprathermal Ion Composition), an instrument that studies the composition of the solar wind and the effects of solar storms on Earth’s atmosphere; and S/WAVES (STEREO/WAVES), an instrument that studies the radio emissions from the Sun and the solar wind.
After an unremarkable weekend, solar activity is again picking up speed. Last week, we witnessed two separate radio blackout events triggered by an X-class solar flare and an M-class solar flare. While the CME escaped the Earth and no solar storms were to be seen, this week the fear is far greater. A sunspot in Earth’s view named AR3340 has gone unstable and is now harboring a delta-class magnetic field, which is a big catalyst for solar flare eruptions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that an M-class solar flare can erupt today. Such eruptions are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CME), that are fully capable of bringing a powerful solar storm to the Earth.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, “Growing sunspot AR3340 has developed a ‘delta-class’ magnetic field that harbors energy for strong solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares and a 10% chance of X-flares”.
Solar flares expected today
A solar flare should not be taken lightly. The extreme ultraviolet radiation that emerges from the explosion causes a temporary disruption for low-frequency radio waves that are used by aviators, drone pilots, amateur radio operators, small ships and boats, and others. Such disruptions affect their operations, and on rare occasions, can also affect rescue missions as emergency services also use these channels for communication.
But the biggest threat is from a possible solar storm if a CME cloud comes rushing towards the Earth. Last week’s CME hit Venus and eroded a small portion of its atmosphere due to its strong impact. Luckily, the Earth was not in its path. A similar solar storm on Earth can have a devastating impact. They can damage small satellites, impact mobile networks, GPS, and even pose a threat to ground-based electronics and power grids by increasing the magnetic potential by huge amounts.
NASA STEREO spacecraft’s role in solar observation
The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) is a pair of twin spacecraft that were launched in 2006 to study the Sun and its effects on Earth. The two spacecraft, STEREO-A, and STEREO-B, are in different orbits around the Sun, which allows them to view the Sun from different perspectives. This provides scientists with a stereoscopic view of solar phenomena, such as solar storms and CMEs.
Some of its main instruments include SECCHI (Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation), a suite of four instruments that study the Sun’s atmosphere and the solar wind; IMPACT (In-situ Measurements of Particles and CME Transients), an instrument that measures the composition and dynamics of the solar wind; PLASTIC (Plasma and Suprathermal Ion Composition), an instrument that studies the composition of the solar wind and the effects of solar storms on Earth’s atmosphere; and S/WAVES (STEREO/WAVES), an instrument that studies the radio emissions from the Sun and the solar wind.