An Earth-Killer Solar Storm? Horrific destruction our Sun can wreak on humanity
Solar Storms have been battering Earth for billions of years. The same is continuing and with the Sun at its volatile best during its latest 11-year solar cycle, it is spewing fire at Earth. These solar storms also cause major after-effects which can destroy the power and communications infrastructure on Earth. However, could such a strong solar storm ever hit Earth that it annihilates all life on the planet? Or could Earth fight back and survive? In a battle between solar storms vs Earth, who wins?
Solar storms occur due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) that is set off on the surface of the Sun. This ejection sends solar flares hurtling towards Earth. As per the K-index, which measures the magnetic field around the Earth, solar storms are divided into 5 classes from G-1 to G-5. The G-1 is the lowest impact solar G5 is given to the most severe solar storms.
The high-speed solar flares interact with the Earth's electromagnetic field and spark Geomagnetic storms. According to NASA, a geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere which occurs when there is a strong exchange of energy from the solar wind in the space above Earth.
One of the major effects of solar storms is Radio blackouts. When a solar flare hits the Earth, the radio communications and the power grids are affected when it hits the Earth's magnetic field.
Solar Storms can also cause a change in migration patterns of birds, whales and even bees. Since birds rely on magnetic fields of the Earth for navigation, their migration pattern gets affected.
Although solar storms can cause various effects which have the potential to harm the planet, they also result in one of the most beautiful phenomena - Northern Lights. Northern Lights, also known as
Read more on tech.hindustantimes.com
