Most Powerful Solar Storm In Over 2 Decades Hits Earth; Know Its Impact

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Washington: The most powerful solar storm in over two decades struck planet Earth on Friday, resulting in a spectacular display of celestial light from Australia’s Tasmania to Britain.

The storm could cause disruptions to satellites and power grids as it continues over the weekend, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Centre said.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun — came just after 1600 GMT (9.30 pm IST) and thereafter turned to an ‘extreme’ geomagnetic storm. It was the first of its kind since the ‘Halloween Storms’ of October 2003, which caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa.

More CMEs are expected to impact the planet in the next few days, the centre warned.

Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet operator has around 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, described the solar storm as the ‘biggest in a long time.

“Starlink satellites are under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far,” Musk posted on X.

Social media was flooded with pictures and videos posted by residents of northern Europe and Australasia.

“Absolutely biblical skies in Tasmania at 4 am this morning. I’m leaving today and knew I could not pass up this opportunity,” a photographer Sean O’ Riordan posted on X.

Solar flares travel at the speed of light and reach Earth in around eight minutes, while CMEs travel at a slower pace, currently averaging 800 kilometres (500 miles) per second. They originated from a large cluster of sunspots 17 times wider than Earth. The Sun is nearing the peak of an 11-year cycle that results in increased activity, Times of India reported.