Big Solar Storm To Hit Earth, Warns NASA; Telecommunications & Satellites To Be Hit?

By OB Bureau On Oct 6, 2024

New Delhi: A big solar storm is going to hit the Earth, and it may affect electronic communications, according to a warning issued by American scientists.

A solar storm is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the Sun.

The incoming solar storm could disrupt telecommunications and satellites. Indian scientists are monitoring it, and experts at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said they have informed Indian satellite operators to take all precautions. The next few days are crucial for the Earth since the storm is heading towards the Blue Planet, NDTV reported.

“The (solar) flare which occurred a few days ago is similar in terms of strength to the one which occurred in May,” Dr Annapurni Subramanian, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics told NDTV, adding, “So we would expect some kind of interference in the magnetosphere. But we would like to wait and see because it takes a few days to hit the Earth. We expect to do something tonight or tomorrow night to see if anything is happening.”

“The predictions are that it can happen or it may not happen, we will have to wait and see,” Dr Subramanian was quoted as saying.

When directed towards the Earth, a solar storm can create a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field, called a geomagnetic storm, that can produce effects such as radio blackouts, power outages, and beautiful auroras. They do not cause direct harm to anyone on Earth, however, as the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the worst of these storms, according to the report.