Solar storms can destroy power grids on Earth, satellites in the sky! Why scientists are worried
As the Sun moves towards the solar maximum gradually, scientists are worrying about a once in a century solar storm that can impact Earth, and humanity, severely. We are now experiencing the most active sun so far and it is generating massive solar storms frequently. The peak of solar activities happens every 11 years when the sun reaches the solar maximum. Normally, these solar storms do not severely impact the Earth, but, occasionally, they get so intense that they can generate strong geomagnetic storms that affect all the electrical infrastructure that humanity has created including the power grid and the satellites. NASA believes that if such a solar storm occurs, it could put the safety and livelihoods of people at risk. Now, it is being feared that such a massive solar storm can happen over the next few years.
According to a Business Insider report. three dangerous solar events can massively impact Earth's magnetic field. These events are named solar flares, coronal holes, or coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These solar storms can damage the Earth's ionized layer which protects the planet from dangerous space environment.
Scientists fear that such an event can happen at any moment especially when the sun's activity is at its peak. Well into its 11th solar cycle, the sun has the power to generate more dangerous sunspots, CMEs, solar flares, and coronal holes. These massive solar events can create once-in-a-lifetime events that can endanger humanity.
“The much stronger events don't happen every cycle. But during a maximum of a strong cycle like the one that is coming, it's more likely to get some of those events that cause power outages here on Earth," Business Insider quoted Daniel Verscharen, an associate professor of
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