ALERT! Dangerous solar storm headed towards Earth; Will it trigger a blackout?
After almost a week of peace, the Sun has blasted a powerful burst of solar material towards the Earth. These horrific gaseous materials have escaped from a double equatorial hole on the Sun's surface and are directly headed towards the Earth. According to NOAA projections, a solar storm can hit the Earth on October 1 and it might be more powerful than the ones that we have seen recently. The NOAA space weather forecast system uses the technology aboard the DSCOVR satellite which observes the Sun and other regional activity in space that may have an adverse impact on the Earth. The fanciest tech aboard the satellite is the infrared spectroscope that not only takes visual images of the events but also measures magnetic charge, velocity, intensity and radiation levels of such solar particles. So, will this incoming solar storm prove deadly for us? Read on to find out.
The development was reported by SpaceWeather.com which noted on its website, “A solar wind stream is approaching Earth, and it could spark a G2-class (previously G1) geomagnetic storm when it arrives on Oct. 1st. The gaseous material is flowing from a double equatorial hole in the sun's atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on those dates”.
While this is a developing situation, there are concerns whether this will cause shortwave radio blackouts and disrupt GPS systems and HAM radio operations which a G2-class solar storm is capable of. Earlier this month, a weaker solar storm caused radio blackouts in regions of Africa and the Middle East.
A solar storm of G2-class intensity is considered moderate but there are external factors that can make it more dangerous. For example, fast-moving solar winds that move between the Sun and the
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