Solar storm prediction! X-class solar flares likely today, may spark blackouts

After an unexpected solar storm event in the late night of September 2, that extended well into the morning of September 3, many scientists believe that such solar activities will now continue to increase till the equinox on September 23. During equinoxes, the Earth's magnetic poles (north and south) are at right angles to the solar wind. This makes the solar wind stronger, which can cause stronger magnetic storms. To increase the troubles, a new sunspot, AR3421, has also emerged directly in view of the Earth. The sunspot contains a mixed polarity magnetic field that can often create powerful solar flare eruptions. In case a large enough coronal mass ejection (CME) is released during the event, it can trigger a destructive solar storm.,

A solar storm is heading for Earth today and the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Weather Service has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch for today, September 3, 2023. On this day, Earth may experience a G1 level geomagnetic storm, the mildest on the 1-5 scale. While this geomagnetic storm could cause some aurora displays and minor disruptions in electrical grids, navigation, and communication systems, it is not expected to be a severe event, according to spaceweather.com

The day has finally come! Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is prepared to launch the next space-based mission, Aditya-L1 today, September 2, 2023, at 11.50 AM. After a successful moon mission, the space agency is ready to contribute towards the unfolding of the Sun's environment. Recently, in an interview, former ISRO scientist, Tapan Misra said about the mission that studying our Sun's solar flares and the solar wind is essential to understanding how they affect the weather. Know more about the mission's objectives as per ISRO scientist:

In just a few hours, India's first-ever space mission to study the Sun and the space weather, Aditya-L1, will take off. Once it completes its long journey to its destination of the L1 Lagrange point, it will begin observing the Sun using the seven payloads that will collect data from it. Apart from observing the Sun, its corona, and its dynamic patterns, it will also study space weather, in particular the effect of solar winds and coronal mass ejection (CME) in causing solar storms. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial, as it contains the destructive potential to damage all satellites in space. In fact, it did exactly that in February 2022 when Elon Musk's SpaceX lost 40 of its Starlink satellites to solar storms.

Auroras, commonly known as Northern Lights, are a rare sky phenomenon that result in stunning streaks of colourful light in the sky near the polar regions. However, there are instances where these flashing lights have also appeared across the world, especially if the solar storm that causes them is of strong intensity. Recently, people on a flight to Europe bore witness to a mesmerizing aurora that was snapped by a user, and the social media post has gone viral since then.

The last ten days have been quite uneventful in terms of Earth-directed solar activity. This was strange given there are still 6 sunspot regions present on our planet's side of the Sun. And even as the Sun nears the peak of its solar cycle in 2025, the last month has passed without any significant eruptions. But with September coming in, solar activities have again picked up. Recently, a massive magnetic filament erupted in the northern hemisphere of the Sun. The eruption resulted in a large cloud of coronal mass ejection (CME) being hurled at the Earth. NASA has confirmed that the CME will strike our planet on September 2.

As we approach the solar maximum, the Sun's output is expected to increase in the coming months. As per NASA, the solar minimum occurred in 2019, which also marked the start of the solar maximum, a period where we could see the greatest number of sunspots. It is expected to peak in 2025 and the Sun could unleash CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other particles towards Earth with potentially disastrous consequences. Astonishingly, experts have revealed that the Sun has already exceeded the predicted number of sunspots that were expected in the current solar maximum.

In an intriguing celestial observation, NASA's Perseverance Rover on Mars has captured a striking view of a massive sunspot, signalling a region of heightened solar solar activity on the far side of the Sun. This sunspot is rotating to face the Earth and the likelihood of a solar storm has just increased manifold.

After yesterday's success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the excitement in the astronomy community is at an all-time high. Many are already wondering about other new achievements India and the world can unlock. And among the huge bucket list of ideas about space exploration, one thing has always remained on top - a manned mission to Mars could pave the way for building a colony on the red planet. However, a NASA scientist has warned us that this dream may just not be possible in the near future with the current technology that we have. Why? It's because the radiation from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CME) will kill us long before we ever reach Mars.

Over the past few months, as the volatility of the Sun increases, solar flares have been in the news constantly. Do you know what they are and how can they affect us? The Sun has been putting on a dazzling display of its power, and it's only going to get more exciting as we approach the peak of Solar Cycle 25, expected around 2025. But what's all the fuss about? Well, the Sun has some incredible phenomena like solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), that can affect us here on Earth. They are said to even affect electric infrastructure on Earth.

The Sun has been displaying its might over the last few months, and its activity is expected to increase as we move towards the peak of Solar Cycle 25, which is likely to be in 2025. During its 11-year cycle, the Sun unleashes CMEs, solar flares, solar storms, and other high energy particles which can damage electric infra on Earth. Although scientists now have the technology to predict most of these events, this cycle's activity has already exceeded the maximum threshold which was predicted earlier.

In a recent occurrence, the Sun displayed unusual tranquility, following a period of potentially hazardous solar storm activity directed towards Earth the previous week. Solar physicist Keith Strong shared observations revealing that despite the calm on Earth, the Sun's surface was far from peaceful. And it proved that with a super-powerful solar flare.