A severe G3 geomagnetic storm is currently underway on Earth. Radio blackouts are being reported across large parts of the planet. What are the risks and what causes this phenomenon? Possible aurora borealis at low latitudes in the evening.
Image credit: Edward Vijayakumar/Twitter/NASA
From 10:08 am Italy time todayMonday August 12, 2024working on one strong geomagnetic storm to G3 classA wave of four unleashed it. coronal mass ejection (Continuing Medical Education) respectively thrown out insole In the last days. They are falling on Terra Now. Strong flow of electrically charged particles (plasma) has already created a solar storm. Class G2 Around 08:40 in Italy – 06:40 UTC – and even earlier in another G3. And now the phenomenon is getting worse again, they highlight. Data reported by the specialized portal spaceweateherlive.comwhich is constantly monitoring the activity of the Sun now. Extended radio blackout in High frequencies Throughout Europe, Africa, and much of Asia, as well as widely around the Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere.
A possible G3 geomagnetic storm warning has been issued for today by scientists from NOAA Space Weather Prediction CenterIt is the US federal agency that monitors and studies the oceans, atmosphere and space weather. Several have been discovered in the past few days. Torches Solar by Category M Complex related Sunspots AR 3780 H AR 3777from which some coronal mass ejections, i.e. projections into space of large amounts of material from the outer layer of the Sun, originate.star atmosphereThe crown.
These phenomena release massive amounts of energycan be compared to the contemporary explosion of Millions of atomic bombs Hiroshima. When streams of charged particles at very high speed affect Earth’s magnetic field (Magnetosphere) It causes geomagnetic or solar storms, which can be of varying intensity and also have potentially catastrophic effects. As shown, a strong storm of category G3 on a scale of five is currently underway.
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G3 Geomagnetic Storm Hazards
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determines that Category G3 storms, defined as strong, can cause serious storm problems. Power Systems from Electricity grid And there transformerswith the need for interventions to regulate Voltage By the technical staff. Possible problems also for the Internet and Satellite Operationsespecially for satellite guidance systems, which may require repositioning them into the correct orbit. Solar storms can and do do that. upper atmosphere heating Which makes the air denser, a phenomenon that increases its resistance. Some satellites affected by this phenomenon may be thrown out of orbit due to friction, as happened to some Starlink By Elon Musk shortly after launch, specifically due to the G2 storm. Loss Radio communications At higher frequencies is one of the most likely consequences, and as shown, it is currently underway in large parts of the globe due to a G3 storm.
Copyright: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Possible aurora at low latitudes
Another effect of stronger geomagnetic storms is a lowering of the atmosphere. latitude in which they show themselves Aurora BorealisAt this time spaceweatherlive.com indicates that KP Index I said 7 on a scale of 9which measures geomagnetic activity. On the night of May 11, 2024, when the aurora borealis also appeared over Italy, the bar was practically at its maximum. Normally, to see the aurora in Italy, you need at least one severe geomagnetic storm. G4 classSince the G3 storm occurs during the Italian morning, it is unlikely that the effect will last until the evening, when the aurora becomes visible. However, as shown, there are several CME streams reaching the planet, so another increase in activity over the next few hours cannot be ruled out. We also remember that sometimes solar storms appear more powerful than expected; therefore, a G4 cannot be completely ruled out for today.
Currently, the solar region under close observation by scientists includes complexes Sunspots AR3780 H AR3784 who As defined by spaceweather.comcharacterized by magnetic fields beta-gamma-delta able to unleash X-Class Flaresthe most violent of all. Continuing medical education related to this Solar flares Directing it towards Earth could trigger G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storms, with potentially devastating effects due to Eddy currents I am able to unleash. The main danger is a new danger. Carrington Eventfrom the name of the very violent solar storm that occurred on September 1, 1859, which caused the telegrams of the time to catch fire. During this period the increased danger of severe solar storms is linked to the fact that the Sun is moving towards it. maximum peak For its expected magnetic activity between the end of this year and the summer of next year.
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