Latest news with #solarflare
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
NASA warns of potential blackouts amid solar flare
The eruption unleashed a burst of ionizing radiation, magnetic energy and heat capable of interfering with technology on Earth. Dr Tamitha Skov, an independent space weather physicist, said the flare's impact was strongest in the western hemisphere, affecting areas including the US West Coast, Alaska , eastern Russia , the Asia-Pacific region and potentially New Zealand . Almost immediately, the flare triggered a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean, with ham radio operators in Hawaii reporting sudden signal loss. NASA and other space weather agencies are now closely monitoring sunspot region 4114, the source of the flare. Sunspots are cooler than other parts of the surface. Sunsport 4114 is expected to remain active in the coming days, and scientists warn that another major flare could erupt as soon as today. 'Another flare may be in the offing today. Sunspot 4114 is large and unstable, with a 'delta-class' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions,' the team at shared. A delta-class magnetic field is like a pressure cooker of magnetic energy on the sun, and it is often a warning sign that a big solar flare is to come. Officials said in a Wednesday update that the solar flare likely came with a huge burst of charged solar particles, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), which will take about 15 to 72 hours to reach Earth. A G1 geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Friday, which is the least powerful on the scale of five. However, it has the potential to cause minor fluctuations in power grids, slight impacts on satellite operations and make the aurora borealis visible at high latitudes. Results showed power grids failed, blackouts were triggered and communication broke down across the US. The exercise ran four simulations of geomagnetic storms of different severities. One scenario included a 'solar superstorm', strong enough to cause an 'internet apocalypse,' resulting in power grid disruptions across the entire US, with the eastern seaboard experiencing blackouts, which lasted for weeks. Not only were power grids impacted, but railways and pipelines were also knocked offline, causing mass disruptions of travel and dramatic price increases of gas. Scientists are now calling for a whole-of-government planning approach, arguing it will be critical for protecting America from cosmic disaster. That would include deploying more satellites to monitor space weather, enhancing real-time data collection to improve forecasting models and providing earlier warnings.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Colossal solar flare erupts from Earth-facing sunspot, sparking strong radio blackouts over Pacific Ocean (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's at it again! Sunspot region 4114 has fired off its strongest blast yet — an X1.2-class solar flare that erupted on June 17, triggering radio blackouts across the Pacific Ocean region, including Hawaii. The flare peaked at 5:54 p.m. EDT (2154 GMT), marking the first X-class flare from this active sunspot region, which has already been responsible for multiple M-class eruptions over the past few days. Unlike previous eruptions from 4114, this powerful flare was not accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a cloud of solar plasma and magnetic field that can travel through space and strike Earth's magnetic field, sparking auroras. Instead, this was a rapid, intense flash of electromagnetic energy, strong enough to ionize Earth's upper atmosphere and disrupt radio signals on the sunlit side of the planet. The flare caused a shortwave radio blackout centered over the Pacific Ocean, with the strongest impact over Hawaii, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. Ham radio operators and aviators may have noticed signal loss at frequencies below 25 MHz shortly after the flare struck, according to X-class flares are the most powerful type of solar flare. Tuesday's event ranked as an X1.2, placing it at the lower end of the X-scale, but still strong enough to cause disruptions. For comparison, an X1 flare is 10 times more powerful than an M1, and 100 times stronger than a C1-class flare. Forecasters are closely watching sunspot region 4114, which remains Earth-facing and shows signs of magnetic instability. This means it could still produce more high-level flares in the coming hours or days, and potentially with CMEs. If future flares do launch CMEs toward Earth, they could trigger geomagnetic storms and even auroras. For now, space weather forecasters are keeping a close eye on this prolific flare factory. Stay up to date with the latest space weather news and forecasts on our aurora forecast live blog and NOAA's 3-day geomagnetic outlook.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
See NASA's image of an intense X-class solar flare
NASA captured an image of an intense solar flare released by the sun on Tuesday evening. The solar flare peaked at 5:49 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory said. It was an X-class flare — the most intense kind, NASA said. Solar flares are essentially "giant explosions on the sun" that send energy, light and high-speed particles into space, according to NASA. An image captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sun, colorized in teal to draw attention to the flare. The flare is visible as a bright flash at the center of the sun. The heat of a solar flare causes it to appear bright. The energy from solar flares can be disruptive, NASA says on its website. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals. They also can pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. Solar flares are also often associated with coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. CMEs are huge bubbles of coronal plasma that the sun occasionally ejects, NASA says online. Often, CMEs look like "huge, twisted ropes," NASA says, because they involve the sun's magnetic fields. Coronal mass ejections can also disrupt radio and satellite communications, and can also cause geomagnetic storms on Earth. In May 2024, a powerful coronal mass ejection brought the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years to Earth. During the CME, multiple X-class solar flares were recorded. The storm caused some radio blackouts. Another strong geomagnetic storm in October 2024 led to the northern lights being visible as far south as Florida and over bright areas like New York City and Chicago. Teen questioned after family's quadruple murder Iranians evacuate capital Tehran, some say the regime is frightened Parents, brother of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman speak about her death
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
See NASA's image of an intense X-class solar flare
NASA captured an image of an intense solar flare released by the sun on Tuesday evening. The solar flare peaked at 5:49 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory said. It was an X-class flare — the most intense kind, NASA said. Solar flares are essentially "giant explosions on the sun" that send energy, light and high-speed particles into space, according to NASA. An image captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sun, colorized in teal to draw attention to the flare. The flare is visible as a bright flash at the center of the sun. The heat of a solar flare causes it to appear bright. The energy from solar flares can be disruptive, NASA says on its website. Flares and solar eruptions can impact radio communications, electric power grids and navigation signals. They also can pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts. Solar flares are also often associated with coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. CMEs are huge bubbles of coronal plasma that the sun occasionally ejects, NASA says online. Often, CMEs look like "huge, twisted ropes," NASA says, because they involve the sun's magnetic fields. Coronal mass ejections can also disrupt radio and satellite communications, and can also cause geomagnetic storms on Earth. In May 2024, a powerful coronal mass ejection brought the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years to Earth. During the CME, multiple X-class solar flares were recorded. The storm caused some radio blackouts. Another strong geomagnetic storm in October 2024 led to the northern lights being visible as far south as Florida and over bright areas like New York City and Chicago. Teen questioned after family's quadruple murder Iranians evacuate capital Tehran, some say the regime is frightened Parents, brother of slain Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman speak about her death
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
US hit by blackouts as sun releases colossal burst of radiation... and experts warn more is to come
A powerful solar flare erupted from the sun on Tuesday, prompting warnings from NASA about potential blackouts and communication disruptions. The solar flare, classified as an X1.2 flare, one of the most severe types, exploded from the sun's Earth-facing side at around 6pm ET. 'X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about their strength,' NASA shared in a release. The eruption unleashed a burst of ionizing radiation, magnetic energy and heat capable of interfering with technology on Earth. Dr Tamitha Skov, an independent space weather physicist, said the flare's impact was strongest in the western hemisphere, affecting areas including the US West Coast, Alaska, eastern Russia, the Asia-Pacific region and potentially New Zealand. Almost immediately, the flare triggered a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean, with ham radio operators in Hawaii reporting sudden signal loss. NASA and other space weather agencies are now closely monitoring sunspot region 4114, the source of the flare. Sunspots are cooler than other parts of the surface. Sunsport 4114 is expected to remain active in the coming days, and scientists warn that another major flare could erupt as soon as today. 'Another flare may be in the offing today. Sunspot 4114 is large and unstable, with a 'delta-class' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions,' the team at shared. A delta-class magnetic field is like a pressure cooker of magnetic energy on the sun, and it is often a warning sign that a big solar flare is to come. Officials said in a Wednesday update that the solar flare likely came with a huge burst of charged solar particles, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), which will take about 15 to 72 hours to reach Earth. A G1 geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Friday, which is the least powerful on the scale of five. However, it has the potential to cause minor fluctuations in power grids, slight impacts on satellite operations and make the aurora borealis visible at high latitudes. In May, experts revealed they conducted an extreme space weather scenario and found Earth may not survive. They conducted a 'solar storm emergency drill', simulating what would happen if a major geomagnetic storm hit our planet. Results showed power grids failed, blackouts were triggered and communication broke down across the US. Dr Tamitha Skov, an independent space weather physicist, said the flare's impact was strongest in the western hemisphere, affecting areas including the US West Coast, Alaska, eastern Russia, the Asia-Pacific region and potentially New Zealand The exercise ran four simulations of geomagnetic storms of different severities. One scenario included a 'solar superstorm', strong enough to cause an 'internet apocalypse,' resulting in power grid disruptions across the entire US, with the eastern seaboard experiencing blackouts, which lasted for weeks. Not only were power grids impacted, but railways and pipelines were also knocked offline, causing mass disruptions of travel and dramatic price increases of gas. Scientists are now calling for a whole-of-government planning approach, arguing it will be critical for protecting America from cosmic disaster. That would include deploying more satellites to monitor space weather, enhancing real-time data collection to improve forecasting models and providing earlier warnings.
