Six prominent solar flares this weekend will trigger what is believed to be the strongest solar storm since 2005. This increases the chance that the Northern Lights could be visible at all in the Alpine region and therefore also in Austria.
Our central star is particularly active right now. Several (currently six, but there could be more) notable eruptions (technically known as CMEs, ed.) have been observed on the Sun’s surface – just in the region facing Earth alone.
On Thursday, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) probe captured images of a category solar flare. Energy bursts of this magnitude could cause brief radio blackouts in parts of Earth, among other things, according to the National Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The sun is quite active at the moment
Such explosions are completely normal and have become increasingly common recently, as the sun reaches the maximum of its eleven-year cycle during these months. The particles thrown into space by the explosions are now on their way to Earth and are expected to arrive from Friday evening (the animation above shows only three of the six currently observed CMEs, note).
When the solar storm reaches Earth, the particles cause various effects, such as communication disruptions. For example, through interactions with the Earth’s magnetic field, they also cause a significant increase in aurora activity. These may also be visible in the Alpine region.
Minor interference possible with shortwave radio
According to Spaceweather.com, the solar storm could also cause a loss of shortwave radio broadcasts in Earth’s two polar regions. The reason: Earth’s magnetic field sends many of the incoming protons toward the poles, where they then neutralize radio signals below 30 megahertz (MHz).
Solar activity – and therefore the chance of solar storms – is related to the frequency of sunspots. According to data from the US atmospheric agency NOAA, their numbers are currently higher than they have been in more than two decades. The more sunspots there are, the greater the chance of solar flares.
Particles travel at a speed of up to 120,000 km/h
High-energy particles with a mass of tens of billions of tons can be ejected into space. They can reach Earth, some 150 million kilometers away, within hours to days at speeds of up to 2,000 km/s (120,000 km/h).
Source: Krone
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