Biggest Solar Storm in 20 Years Has Hit The Earth. But It's Not Over Yet
May 15, 2024
The Sun had a busy week.The most powerful solar storm in the last two decades recently hit Earth, creating stunning displays of auroras, often known as the Northern and Southern Lights. This event was caused by a group of sunspots (AR 3664), about 16 times the size of Earth. They released several X-class solar flares and coronal mass ejections directly toward our planet. These solar emissions led to severe geomagnetic storms, ranked at the highest intensity level of G5, marking the most intense storms since the 2003 Halloween storms.
So, what really happened on the surface of the Sun that caused the geomagnetic storm? How did it create such a stunning display of light 150 million km away? Finally, and most importantly, what will happen when the sunspot group faces our planet again after two weeks?
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Sun’s Magnetic Field is About to Flip, and There’s a Problem
Sun’s Magnetic Field is About to Flip, and There’s a Problem
Mar 5, 2024
211,413 views • Mar 5, 2024
The Sun's magnetic field is about to reverse as it reaches its peak activity in its 11-year solar cycle. The magnetic field reversal comes at a time of the Artemis mission, humanity's return to the Moon after more than half a century.
So, what will the upcoming solar maximum do to our planet in the coming months? What are the anomalies in this solar cycle that NASA is concerned about? Finally, and most importantly, will the upcoming phase of the Sun's activity risk the life of the astronauts of the Artemis mission on the Moon?
REFERENCES
Solar activity likely to peak next year, new study suggests (Royal Astronomical Society)
Progression of solar cycle 25 (Helio4Cast)
Solar Cycle Progression (SpaceWeatherLive)
Timing Terminators: Forecasting Sunspot Cycle 25 Onset, Leamon et al.
