The biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years will hit the Earth this Friday (10)

United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a warning about an intense geomagnetic storm expected to hit Earth starting this Friday (10). The last time a similar, powerful phenomenon occurred almost 20 years ago, when the Sun beamed high-energy plasma at the planet. The event is expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Classified as a G4 storm and the second strongest storm on the scale The solar phenomenon can disrupt communications and electrical networks, GPS navigation systems, and trigger aurora borealis sightings in some parts of the world. G4 storms are considered severe as they can damage satellites and cause various problems in terrestrial services.

NOAA says the geomagnetic storm could produce at least five coronal mass ejections (CMEs).and will reach Earth between Friday (10) and Sunday (12); Most of this energy needs to be received on Saturday (11). The same warning has not been issued since the last severe storm to hit the planet in January 2005.

The force is so strong that it is capable of producing aurora borealis at lower latitudes than normal, but Only in some parts of the world, such as the USA and northern Germany, and southern Tasmania and New Zealand.

“Additional solar flares could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend. CMEs are bursts of plasma and magnetic fields originating from the solar corona. When directed toward Earth, they cause geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit. NOAA , “and potentially disrupts communications, power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations on the Earth’s surface,” he explains.

The biggest geomagnetic storm in 20 years

Coronal mass ejections have their origin in the AR3664 sunspot. According to website spaceThe peak of the solar flare caused high-frequency radio signals to temporarily disappear only on Friday morning in Eastern Europe, East Africa and parts of Asia.

there is a stain It is approximately 16 times the size of the Earth; It is so large that it is possible to observe it with the naked eye. However, if you do this, do not forget to wear special glasses to avoid harming your eye health.

“Given the legitimate need to protect the Earth from the most intense forms of space weather – large bursts of electromagnetic energy and particles that can sometimes be emitted from the Sun – some people fear that a massive ‘killer solar flare’ could release enough energy to destroy the Earth in 2011.” In a study published in “World. “Everyone over the age of 11 experienced this solar maximum without any harm,” he says.

Did you like the content? So stay updated with more curiosity about the Sun at TecMundo. If you wish, take the opportunity to learn about the Carrington Event, the day when the Sun almost ‘wiped out’ civilizations on Earth.