solar storm blackout

Yesterday, it was the turn of Mars, and today, December 9, the Earth is again the central focus of the unceasing solar activity on the Sun. Just four hours ago, a massive solar flare eruption took place on the Sunspot AR3511, according to data from NASA. The solar flare was measured to be M5.49, which is the highest-intensity flare we have seen in the last three months. The flare subsequently triggered a short-wave radio blackout on Earth. It is possible that the flare also released a coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud…

It has been three days of non-stop solar activity from the Sun, and it does not appear to slow down anytime soon. After a minor solar storm on Monday and three different solar flare eruptions on Tuesday, the last 24 hours have also been filled with similar activity. Another solar flare, stronger than any we have seen this week, erupted yesterday, December 6, and a separate ‘sigmoid eruption' may have hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) towards the Earth, data from NASA has shown. The latter can spark a solar storm on…

The solar activity on Earth has intensified. Yesterday, December 1, it was reported that a second coronal mass ejection (CME) was headed for the Earth which could turn the ongoing solar storm even more intense, and exactly that happened. A few hours earlier, the second CME made an impact and sparked an incredibly powerful G3-class solar storm. The storm resulted in some of the brightest aurora displays seen across the world. While it has begun subsiding slowly, a NASA model has shown that more CMEs are headed toward the…

Yesterday, a massive sunspot spanning 200,000 kilometers containing as many as 12 dark cores was reported on the Sun. As per information from the NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), there was a high chance that it could explode at any moment, and that is exactly what happened just an hour ago. An M-class solar flare was seen erupting on the sunspot, whose extreme ultraviolet radiation sparked a short-wave radio blackout on the Earth. While NASA has not been able to confirm the presence of any Earth-bound coronal mass…

Last week, the Earth suffered multiple hits by the Sun, including two separate solar storms and a couple of radio blackouts. This was one of the most active weeks for solar activity after April, and researchers believe that the Sun is picking up the intensity again, as we approach the autumnal equinox (historically, the highest solar activity period, along with the vernal equinox) in September. As a sign of that, another solar storm has been predicted to strike the Earth on July 27, two days from now, on the back of a…

On July 15, 2000, the Earth was hit by an unexpected solar storm. The storm was sparked by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that was released after an X5.7-class solar flare erupted on the Sun. The terrifying event was witnessed by the NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, which was launched just five years earlier. But that was not the only NASA spacecraft to witness the solar storm. The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which was placed at the edge of the solar system, also felt the shockwaves produced by the flare eruption.…

In the early hours of July 12, a single M-class solar flare was produced by an emerging sunspot on the northeastern limb of the Sun, and it sparked blackouts over the North American continent, as per reports. But since then, as many as 8 different M-class solar flares have been produced by the same region, sunspot AR3372, the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory has detected. The flares have sparked a rolling series of blackouts all across the Earth. The sunspot appears to be highly reactive and crackling with activity. This…

Yesterday, it was reported that a double solar storm strike was expected on the Earth. However, it did not happen. Turns out, the coronal mass ejection (CME) clouds that were moving towards our planet, are moving slower than previously thought. However, the danger is not over! It is likely that it will strike today at any moment. Many are also fearing whether this solar storm strike can cause an internet apocalypse, destroying the internet infrastructure altogether and leaving everyone with dead smartphones. Dr. Tamitha…

The biggest cosmic event of the week is scheduled for today. Earlier this week, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) of NASA detected two separate coronal mass ejections from the Sun, with both of them expected to make partial contact with the Earth. This event is being called the ‘double solar storm' event and as per NASA, it will occur today, July 7, at around 5:30 PM IST/ 12 PM UTC. The event is concerning to researchers because two separate CME hits can greatly amplify the overall intensity of the solar…

Yesterday, it was reported that multiple highly active regions on the Sun were spotted on the farside of the Earth that are threatening our planet with some powerful solar storms. But even before that, one of the Earth-facing sunspots, AR3331, went unstable yesterday, June 9, and produced an M2.5-class solar flare. The incident was spotted by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The eruption sparked a short-wave radio blackout in Mexico and the southern region of the USA, marking the second such event this week.…