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☆ A once-in-century solar storm could fry power grids and knock out satellites. Here's why scientists worry it could happen soon.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Most solar storms are pretty harmless, but every so often, the sun can send hugely powerful storms. The Carrington Event of 1859 is widely considered to be the most powerful solar storm ever recorded. A huge solar flare like this one anticipated the 1989 solar storm. Why scientists are concerned about the next solar peakThe sun's activity is currently growing, and scientists are particularly concerned about the ongoing solar cycle. With enough warning, operators can put in place measures to protect infrastructure from the worst effect of solar storms.

Persons: we've, Mathew Owens, Daniel Verscharen, it's, We've, we'd, Owens, Elon Musk's, Verscharen, Till Organizations: Service, NASA, University of Reading, Solar Dynamics, University College London, Heliospheric, Getty, NOAA, Elon, Elon Musk's SpaceX, Verscharen, European Space Agency Locations: Wall, Silicon, Quebec, Soviet Union, Russia, Canada, Sweden

☆ The sun has produced a record number of sunspots — and it could mean power outages, grounded flights, and beautiful auroras
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists are paying close attention to this number because it can help predict if powerful solar flares may cause problems for Earth. Because we're seeing more sunspots than expected, we're likely to see a much stronger solar maximum than had been anticipated. A solar maximum is on its wayThe sun follows a solar cycle, whereby its activity grows and wanes approximately every 11 years. The latest solar cycle was particularly quiet and may have lulled us into a false sense of security, he added. Still, if the sun peaks at 200 sunspots, it will be far from the biggest solar maximum on record.

Persons: —, Auroras, Keith Strong, Mathew Owens, Owens Organizations: Service, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, NASA, Federal Aviation Administration, Riverton, Twitter, Royal Observatory, University of Reading Locations: North America, Central America, South America, Arizona, Riverton, Belgium

☆ Powerful solar flares have been causing radio blackouts on Earth — here's a time-lapse video of 4 years of intense storms on the sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The sun is about to enter a peak activity period, letting off space weather-causing solar flares. These solar flares aren't dangerous but have caused sporadic radio blackouts on Earth. A few powerful solar flares have already sent space weather towards our planet in recent months. NOAA/InsiderHere's what this looks like:In the time-lapse video, solar flares appear as an intense brightening of a region on the sun. How solar flares can lead to radio blackoutsDuring certain space weather events, such as solar flares, solar energetic particles travel down geomagnetic field lines in the polar regions.

Persons: —, Mathew Owens, We're, aren't Organizations: Service, NOAA, NASA, University of Reading, Federal Aviation Administration, Riverton Locations: Riverton , Utah, New Mexico, Belgium

☆ Time-lapse video shows increasingly powerful solar storms raging as the sun becomes its most active in a decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A time-lapse video shows the sun getting more chaotic over the past four years. That's because solar activity could impact Earth, creating bursts of electromagnetic energy that can affect everything from the power grid to GPS signals. NOAA/InsiderAs solar activity ramps up, more sunspots and eruptions have been appearing on the sun's surface, sending solar winds into the universe that can hit our planet. Here's what this looks like:In the time-lapse video, solar flares appear as an intense brightening of a region on the sun. Meanwhile, the sun's surface appears gradually less homogenous, indicating more magnetic activity at the surface.

Persons: —, Mathew Owens, We're, aren't, Owens Organizations: Service, NOAA, University of Reading, NASA Locations: Riverton , Utah, New Mexico, Belgium

☆ Powerful solar flare that erupted from a sunspot three times the size of the Earth caused widespread radio blackouts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A powerful solar flare exploded on Tuesday, caused by a sunspot three times the size of the Earth. There have been a series of recent space weather events as the sun enters a period of peak activity. A video of the sun taken on May 18 shows a powerful solar flare being released. As the sun becomes more active, it is exhibiting more frequent solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. An X-class solar flare was spotted in March causing radio blackouts in parts of southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

☆ NASA footage reveals 4 types of solar eruptions and 'holes' that could affect Earth as the sun grows more active
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The sun is slamming Earth with solar flares and high-speed eruptions of plasma. Solar flares can have the power of 1 billion hydrogen bombsA solar flare erupts — the bright flash on the bottom right of the sun — on March 28, 2023. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the upper right – on March 3, 2023. CMEs are common culprits of solar storms on Earth, since they can send a powerful flood of solar particles washing over the planet. Coronal holes open a highway for solar windA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ I've studied the sun for 23 years. Here's what happened during the last solar maximum and what to expect from this one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Crystal Raypole | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Solar maximum is a peak in the sun's activity that happens around the middle of each solar cycle. Mathew OwensThe solar maximum represents a peak in solar activity when the sun's magnetic field reaches its strongest and most disordered and dynamic point. NASA/Solar Dynamics ObservatorySolar cycles typically last 11 years, and the solar maximum happens roughly in the middle of each cycle. The sun's magnetic field reaches peak strength during solar maximum, generating an increase in events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These bursts are around four times as likely to occur during a solar maximum than a solar minimum.

☆ A powerful solar storm is hitting Earth, sparking stunning northern and southern lights across the planet. Here's how to see them tonight.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A powerful G4 solar storm is hitting the Earth with winds as fast as 600 mph. Auroras seen in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on March 24, 2023. NWS La CrosseThe spectacle also gave a treat to skygazers globally, with the lights seen across the UK, in the skies over Kyiv, Ukraine, and as far as Victoria, Australia. SANKA VIDANAGAMA/AFP via Getty ImagesThe powerful storm should continue until Monday evening. Storms like this aren't just prettyA view of the sun on April 21 shows the coronal mass ejection that caused the April 24 storm.

☆ Giant 'holes' dozens of times the size of our planet are appearing on the sun. Here's how they could affect Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Two huge coronal holes, dozen of times the size of the Earth, have appeared on the sun. These coronal holes can spew solar winds at 1.8 million mph toward our planet, which can cause stunning auroras and disrupt satellites. Coronal holes aren't actually holes in the sunA coronal hole rotates across the face of the sun, streaming solar wind towards Earth, February 1, 2017. Coronal holes happen in the "corona," the atmosphere of the sun, and can only be seen in UV or X-ray light. We could see this month's coronal holes again next monthThe coronal hole came into view as the sun rotated.

☆ A second giant 'hole' has appeared on the sun, and it could send 1.8 million mph solar winds towards Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

These 'holes' can send 1.8 million mph solar winds towards Earth. As this first 'hole' begins rotating away from us, a new giant coronal hole — about 18 to 20 Earths' across — has come into view. Coronal holes release solar winds into space which can damage satellites and reveal stunning auroras if they reach the Earth. The 'hole' is positioned close to the sun's equatorThe coronal hole came into view as the sun rotated. The solar winds can blast very fast solar winds, with speeds of more than 800 kilometers per second, Verscharen said.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of a tornado churning on the sun. The fiery formation of boiling solar plasma grew to an estimated height of 14 Earths. SDO/NASAThe magnetic structure that caused this tornado is actually a lot bigger than what we're seeing. As these move around the sun, they create magnetic fields that erupt through the solar surface. The sun is getting more activeA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ The sun is getting more active than it has for a decade — and it could lead to power outages, grounded flights, and stunning auroras
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That motion, called convection, is what creates strong magnetic fields at the poles and smaller, local magnetic fields at the surface of the sun. That instability causes havoc in the magnetic fields at the surface of the sun, which become much more active. NASA/Solar Dynamics ObservatoryAs the magnetic fields become more confused, bigger sun spots can appear on the surface of the sun. As the sun's local magnetic fields get more tangled and crash into each other, they can explode. "The aurora oval that sits up over the northern and southern poles is a result of currents flowing in the Earth's atmosphere," Owens said.

☆ The sun is about to get more active than it has for a decade — and it could lead to power outages, grounded flights, and stunning auroras
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That motion, called convection, is what creates strong magnetic fields at the poles and smaller, local magnetic fields at the surface of the sun. That instability causes havoc in the magnetic fields at the surface of the sun, which become much more active. As the sun's local magnetic fields get more tangled and crash into each other, they can explode. The worst solar storm we've seen happened in 1859. But as SpaceX and NASA aim to ramp up missions in coming years, they will need to prepare for solar storms.

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