Astronomers, astrophysicists, and scientists in general are paying attention to the recent activity and behavior of the Sun. From a region of the central star of our system, a eruption occurred that caused a solar flare, and will generate a solar storm for Earth, which will arrive in the next few hours.
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According to information provided by NASA and space observatories, the Sun released plasma filaments from an area that is 75 times larger than our planet.
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The result, experts report, is that a storm of particles with a length of 600,000 miles will arrive, which is equivalent to almost one million kilometers.
Knowing that an intense flare is coming raises questions among space enthusiasts. What are the consequences? How does it affect us? Should we be concerned about the future of the planet?
There are no reasons to worry
Fortunately, there is nothing to worry about. The intense flare will initially cause more colorful auroras in the polar regions of the Earth, and at most they will extend towards central latitudes. Another consequence that could be recorded is inconvenience in satellite communication systems or power outages.
“These eruptions are huge accumulations of high-energy solar particles, so when they impact Earth’s atmosphere they can cause some different effects,” said Jake Foster, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, in an interview with Daily Mail.
“With enough energy, they have the potential to cause a geomagnetic storm, temporarily blocking radio communications and satellite navigation in certain areas,” mentioned the expert consulted by the aforementioned media.
At the most severe level of the scale, they can cause an overload on the electrical infrastructure, damaging the power grid and railway lines, and even potentially causing electrical fires, but it is extremely rare for this type of episodes to occur.