Solar Storm Warning Issued After Sunspot Explosion Causes Power Outages on Earth
On Monday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned that the abundance of sunspots on the side of the Sun facing Earth could pose a threat, as some may become unstable. One such sunspot, AR3327, has developed a delta-class magnetic field that is highly reactive and hazardous. On June 7, it erupted in an M4.5-class solar flare, emitting strong ultraviolet radiation and causing a shortwave radio blackout over Africa. Experts fear that additional solar flare eruptions could occur, potentially resulting in a frightening solar storm for Earth.
According to a SpaceWeather.com report, “Sunspot AR3327 has developed an unstable ‘delta-class’ magnetic field that threatens strong solar flares. This morning (June 7 @ 1146 UT), it caused an M4.5 explosion (movie) and radio blackout over Africa” .The report also highlighted that the magnetic field surrounding the sunspot was still found to be highly unstable, meaning that stronger solar flares are possible in the coming days.
What are shortwave radio blackouts and why should you care?
Shortwave radio outages are usually caused by solar flares, which are sudden bursts of energy from the Sun. Solar flares can emit high-energy particles and electromagnetic radiation that can travel through space and reach Earth. When these particles and radiation interact with Earth’s atmosphere, they can ionize air molecules. This ionization can disrupt the ionosphere, a layer of charged particles in the Earth’s atmosphere that is important for long-range radio communications. When the ionosphere is disturbed, shortwave radio waves can no longer travel long distances, and shortwave radio may be cut off.
Strong solar flares can cause global shortwave radio outages that can disrupt radio communications, GPS services and drone operations, as well as delaying flights and leaving ships at sea without reception.
Solar flares and radio outages are also signs of solar storms, as often these flares also throw coronal mass ejections into space, which can cause solar storms 24 to 48 hours later.
How the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory monitors solar activity
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) houses a full suite of instruments for observing the Sun, and has done 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.
