Solar Storm Alert: Giant Sunspot Could Cause Flare Eruptions on Earth
Following an unforeseen solar storm occurrence on the night of September 2, which persisted until the morning of September 3, numerous scientists predict a continued rise in solar activities leading up to the equinox on September 23. During equinoxes, the Earth’s magnetic poles (north and south) align perpendicularly to the solar wind, intensifying its strength and potentially causing more severe magnetic storms. Adding to the concerns, a new sunspot named AR3421 has emerged within direct sight of the Earth. This sunspot possesses a magnetic field of mixed polarity, often resulting in potent solar flare eruptions. If a sufficiently large coronal mass ejection (CME) is released during this event, it has the potential to trigger a destructive solar storm.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, “A new sunspot has appeared on the Sun’s central meridian directly toward Earth. Numbered AR3421, the active region has a mixed-pole magnetic field that may contain energy for geopotential flares.
Solar storm fears are increasing
Although a sunspot does not automatically guarantee solar activity, it is likely if such regions have opposing magnetic fields, as they often trigger a solar flare. After a solar flare bursts toward Earth, the massive ultraviolet radiation can often cause radio blackouts on Earth, limiting short-range wireless communications.
The biggest challenge comes from any CME clouds, which are geopotent because they can trigger strong solar storms. At worst, such solar storms can damage satellites and disrupt wireless communications such as Internet services, cell phone networks and GPS, but they can also cause power grid outages and even disrupt electronics such as pacemakers on Earth.
Several satellites, including NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Heliospheric and Solar Observatory (SOHO), the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter, and others, are constantly watching the sun to see if a sunspot is going haywire.
How NASA SDO collects its data
NASA SDO has a complete set of instruments to observe the sun and has been doing so since 2010. It uses three very important instruments to collect data on various solar activities. They include the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), which measures high-resolution longitudinal and vector magnetic fields across the entire visible solar disk, the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE), which measures the Sun’s extreme ultraviolet radiation, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), which provides continuous full-disk observations of the solar chromosphere and the corona in seven extreme ultraviolet (EUV) channels.
