Solar wind

Just a few days ago, an M-class solar flare hit Earth and sparked a G2-class geomagnetic storm. This is amidst the rising solar activity during the current solar cycle 25, which is expected to enter its peak this year. Consequently, the planet has witnessed a growing number of solar particles, CMEs, solar flares, solar storms and geomagnetic storms in the last few months, and it is expected to rise further. Now, a geomagnetic storm alert has been issued which could trigger a solar storm.Also Read: Volatile Sunspot all…

There are jets in Jupiter’s magnetosheath, according to Voyager 2 mission data from 1979. The 45-year-old information is now revealing the dynamics of the plasma stream.What Is Planet Nine and Why Can’t We Find It?You may remember Voyager 2. It launched in August 1977 and is now 12.66 billion miles from Earth, hurtling out into interstellar space. It is the second-most-distant object humans have sent into space, after Voyager 1, which is over 15 billion miles away.In 1979, Voyager 2 made a flyby of Jupiter, passing…

In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN mission observed a rare solar event causing the solar wind to “disappear.” This led to significant changes in Mars’ atmosphere and magnetosphere, including their expansion. Scientists, astounded by the data, formed a working group to study this phenomenon. Credit: SciTechDaily.com NASA’s MAVEN detected a unique solar event that drastically affected Mars’ atmosphere, offering vital insights into the planet’s interaction with solar phenomena. In December 2022, NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere…

Aditya-L1 mission, India's maiden solar mission, is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the sun. Recently, it has achieved a significant milestone by initiating observations of solar wind. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared the successful activation of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload. Check here to know all about this recent achievement.Aditya-L1 mission observations of solar wind initiatedISRO shared that the Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) payload onboard…

Aurora spotted earlier this year in Alaska.Photo: NOAAA strong geomagnetic storm will hit Earth tonight following a significant solar flare that occurred on Tuesday, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center reported today.“Even AI Rappers are Harassed by Police” | AI UnlockedLarge geomagnetic storms can cause aurorae on Earth as the radiation interacts with components of the atmosphere, causing large light shows in the sky. According to a NOAA release, the storm could generate auroras that are visible over the “upper…

Have you ever heard of Equinoxes? During this time, the Sun shines directly at the equator and the length of day and night becomes equal at all latitudes. During Equinoxes, the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. There are only two times in a year when Equinoxes occur. The Equinox which occurs during the autumn, is known as the autumnal equinox. This day usually occurs in mid-September. Increase in solar activityDuring the past week, the Earth experienced a series of impactful events caused by…

On October 1, 2021, a pair of small spacecraft got their first good look at the closest planet to the Sun, revealing the strange process through which Mercury produces its own auroras.Threads Needs These Five Missing Features to Be a Twitter KillerBepiColombo, a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), launched in October 2018 and is still on its way to enter Mercury’s orbit in 2025. Until then, the spacecraft duo has been conducting a series of six flybys of…

NASA has a full suite of instruments to measure solar activity that affects Earth. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory or SOHO is one of the premier instruments that is used by NASA and ESA. Launched in 1995, SOHO is equipped with 12 scientific instruments, such as an Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph), and others. SOHO captures images of the sun's corona, measures the velocity and magnetic fields of the sun's surface, and…

A solar storm this week means the Northern Lights are taking a trip south. The celestial display, also known as the Aurora Borealis, is expected to be visible in more than a dozen U.S. states on Thursday night, according to the Aurora forecast from the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute.What Is Planet Nine and Why Can’t We Find It?The Kp-index, a global measure of geomagnetic activity, goes from zero to nine. On July 13, it is expected to hit six. Anything above a four is considered a storm, and a six…

Recent discussions about the possibility of an "internet apocalypse" caused by solar storms have captured the attention of social media users. While the concept may sound like science fiction, experts suggest that a widespread internet outage triggered by a powerful solar storm is a rare, but plausible event. As the sun enters a particularly active phase known as the "solar maximum" in 2025, concerns about the world's preparedness have started to rise.In effect, when the Sun is extremely volatile, it spews out energy in…