Shazneen Mistry
www.mediaeyenews.com
It has been noticed by the weather experts that a geomagnetic storm is expected to hit the Earth's atmosphere on Monday, they are expecting certain parts of the planet would be battered as the storm is moving strongly towards the planet.
It was seen that the storm is approaching the Earth at a speed of 1.6 million kilometers. The storm originated from the Sun's atmosphere and would have a significant impact on a region of space dominated by Earth's magnetic field. The researchers have found out that due to this solar storm, the Earth's outer atmosphere would get heated, which would have a direct effect on satellites. This can cause interference with GPS navigation, mobile phone signal, and satellite TV.
What is a solar storm?
In May this year, millions of tons of super-heated gas shot off from the surface of the sun and hurtled 90 million miles toward Earth. The eruption, called a coronal mass ejection and hit the Earth’s magnetic field, triggered the strongest geomagnetic storm seen for years.
In March 1989, a solar storm over Quebec caused a province-wide outage that lasted nine hours. To head off such a catastrophe, US President Barack Obama’s administration laid out a strategy to begin raising awareness of the dangers of massive solar storms and to assess the risks they pose.
Last year, President Donald Trump signed the ProSwift bill into law, which aims to build up technology to improve forecasting and measurement of space weather events.
How does a solar storm form?
Solar storms have their roots in an 11-year cycle that shifts the polarity of the Sun’s magnetic field. The magnetic forces at work on the sun get tangled during the process and can punch out through the surface, sending the sun’s plasma into outer space and potentially triggering storms on Earth.
The most powerful geomagnetic storm ever recorded resulted in the 1859 Carrington Event when telegraph lines electrified, destroying operators and setting offices ablaze in North America and Europe.
Due to the storm's dangerous effects, the officials have been advised to maintain safety and take care of themselves and, if possible, not go out much. They have also asked the people to ensure their safety by not being in open spaces or near high voltage areas. There might be the chances of a power failure as well so make all the necessary arrangements and be safe.
