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Powerful Solar Storm Hits Earth, May Disrupt Power Grids, Communication; Know Its Impact On India
A massive solar storm struck the Earth on Friday, it is said to be the most powerful in more than 20 years. This storm can cause disruption to communication and power grids and has also triggered Northern Lights in the US. Know if this storm can have an impact on India, if yes, what..
New Delhi: A strong solar storm has hit the earth on Friday, May 10 and its effect is going to be seen in this weekend and also in the coming week. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center, the geomagnetic storm, most powerful one in the last two decades, has not only caused blackouts in Sweden and power infrastructure damage in South Africa but has also threatened more disruptions to power grids and communication in the coming days. While it has had a significant effect in locations from Tasmania to Britain, triggering the Northern Lights, let us know if it all, this storm has an impact on India. Also, know all about this solar storm and what this might look like, for the world…
Solar Storm Hits Earth, Rare Severe Geomagnetic Storm Warning Issued
As mentioned earlier, an unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated. The effects were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.
Solar Storm May Disrupt Communication, Power Grids
NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. This storm poses a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.
Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted. Increased radiation also could threaten some of NASA’s science satellites. Extremely sensitive instruments will be turned off, if necessary, to avoid damage, said Antti Pulkkinen, director of the space agency’s heliophysics science division.
Northern Lights In US As A Result Of The Solar Storm
The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA. But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of color normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues. “That’s really the gift from space weather — the aurora,” said Steenburgh. He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.
What Is A Solar Storm?
Understanding the solar storm that has just hit the earth, the sun has produced strong solar flares since Wednesday, resulting in at least seven outbursts of plasma. Each eruption — known as a coronal mass ejection — can contain billions of tons of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona. The flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth, according to NOAA. It’s all part of the solar activity that’s ramping up as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle.
Solar Storm On Earth – Impact On India
Speaking about the impact of this solar storm on India, rest assured, there is no specific impact of this phenomenon on our country. India is far away from the solar storm and life is expected to continue as usual here – with absolutely no impact of the solar storm.
(Inputs from AP)