The Doctor of Physics and Space Weather Tamitha Skov warned a few days ago yesterday tuesday july 19 would touch the ground solar storm. The expert defined the impact of yesterday’s solar storm on the planet as “a filament in the shape of a snake” and the networks went head to head and rumors of major blackouts in electrical systems, internet and communication have surfaced.
Skov is a researcher at thethe United States Aerospace Corporation and he is known in networks like the “Space Weather Woman” and although NASA has not released a statement or any alert, that’s what the network expert did based on one of the same space agency’s prediction models. That is Aemetthe agency responsible for assessing these impacts in Spain, has issued an alert on this geomagnetic storm.
However, according to forecasts Space Weather Detection Center (NOAA), will be the Thursday July 21 when one of the solar ejections will reach Earth, though they should be of little consequence. In any case, as NOAA assured in its last communication on the subject, the cycle of activity which usually increases every 11 years of the sun is increasing again, which means that solar flares are also increasing in frequency.
But how does a solar storm occur and what happens when it hits Earth?
Northern lights and interference in power lines
A solar or geomagnetic storm “is born” after an episode of significant solar or wind emissions. coronal mass ejections which, depending on their intensity, can produce alterations in the Earth’s magnetosphere.
The ace northern Lights are one of the effects caused by solar storms. The interaction between particles ejected by the Sun and atmospheric molecules concentrated at a height of between 35 and 750 kilometers make the phenomenon visible and appreciable.
As indicated Aemet“Auroras have a direct impact on HF communications and satellite positioning systems. They are also closely related to ground-induced currents, which can affect power lines and transformers.”
Flares from the star are accompanied by X-rays which, in turn, are generally absorbed in the first layer of the atmosphere. However, if it had enough energy to distort the ionosphere, it could interfere with the propagation of radio waves. The speed at which the particles that make up these torches move (between 300 and 1000 kilometers per second) can damage various communications system, electricity distribution networks and various devices.
According to NOAA, the expected geomagnetic storm will be level 1, the lowest, therefore, intense episodes or network impacts are not expected.