Issuing alerts regarding solar storms agencies One of the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) erupted from the Sun on Tuesday evening, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. It reached Earth on Thursday at a speed of 24 lakh kilometers per hour.
China’s Xinhua News Agency said that the level of solar storm is G4 (severe). Due to this, radio blackouts can occur in many areas of the world. Electricity grid and GPS services may be affected.
It is noteworthy that earlier this week there was a powerful explosion in the Sun. It emitted such a powerful solar flare, which was the highest in 7 years. That solar flare was of X-class category.
What is Solar Flare?
Solar flares are created by the light and particles emitted when the Sun releases magnetic energy. These flares are the most powerful explosions ever seen in our solar system, releasing energy comparable to billions of hydrogen bombs. The particles present in them travel at the speed of light.
What is CME (Coronal Mass Ejection)
Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are large clouds of solar plasma. After a solar explosion, these clouds spread in space in the Sun’s magnetic field. Due to their rotation in space, they expand and often reach a distance of several lakhs of miles. Many times they collide with the magnetic fields of the planets. When their direction is towards the Earth, they can cause geomagnetic disturbances. Due to these, short circuits may occur in satellites and the power grid may be affected. If their impact is severe, they can also put astronauts in Earth’s orbit in danger.
