SCARY CME hits Earth, causes massive solar storm; Satellite tossed around, may be lost
Yesterday, it was reported that coronal mass ejections (CME) released from the Sun during an eruption on December 30th were moving towards the Earth and were going to cause a massive solar storm event when it reached us. CME-induced solar storms are more intense than usual and scientists were concerned about its impact. It finally struck the magnetosphere of our planet at 8:24 AM today, January 4, resulting in furious magnetic flux. The impact was so strong that an Australian satellite recorded a deviation from its path. If it is not able to regain its position, it could be lost forever. Read on to know the full impact of this solar storm.
The incident was reported by SpaceWeather.com which noted on its website, “As predicted, a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 4th (0254 UT). The impact jolted magnetometers around the world, causing a 38 nT deviation at the Canberra station in Australia”. But not all is over. It is predicted that further G1-class solar storm activity can be seen in hours ahead.
The CME particles released a massive amount of magnetic energy. Such energy jolts can be potentially dangerous to satellites in the lower orbits of the Earth. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex (CDSCC) became a victim to these jolts and the magnetic impulses deviated it from its standard path. It is unclear at the moment whether it caused any damages to the instruments aboard the satellite.
Luckily, the CME particles weren't the strongest and it is assumed that only a G1-class solar storm will be caused in hours to come in the arctic region. This can still impact GPS signals and radio waves, causing flights to recourse and delay their transit.
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