Powerful solar storm hits earth: Communication, satellite disruptions expected

Washington: On Monday, Earth experienced a powerful solar storm that might bring the northern lights, or aurora borealis, to areas further south than usual, according to a US agency.

The storm reached a level-four geomagnetic intensity on a five-point scale, starting from 1500 GMT, as reported by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These conditions could last for several hours but are not expected to get any stronger.

"A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen faintly as far south as Alabama and northern California," NOAA said in a statement, referring to US states.

This solar storm was triggered by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are bursts of particles ejected from the Sun. When these particles hit Earth, they can disturb its magnetic field.

"There are a lot of auroras now... If it lasts until nightfall here, we might be able to see some," Eric Lagadec, an astrophysicist at the Cote d'Azur Observatory in France, said on X.

On Sunday, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared a stunning photo of the aurora borealis taken from the International Space Station, where he is currently stationed.

However, solar storms can also have negative effects. They may interfere with high-frequency communications, disrupt satellites, and cause stress on power grids. NOAA has alerted operators of sensitive infrastructure to take precautions to minimise these impacts.

In May, Earth experienced the strongest geomagnetic storms in two decades, which caused auroras to appear in unusual locations such as the United States, Europe, and Australia. Such events are becoming more common as the Sun nears the peak of its 11-year activity cycle.

Agencies