Solar Storm:
Scientists have uncovered evidence of an immense solar storm that struck Earth around 664–663 BCE.
- A solar storm is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the Sun.
- The sun’s tangled magnetic fields get twisted up as the Sun rotates — with its equator rotating faster than its poles.
- Solar storms typically begin when these twisted magnetic fields on the Sun get contorted and stretched so much that they snap and reconnect (in a process called magnetic reconnection), releasing large amounts of energy.
- These powerful eruptions can generate any or all of the following:
- a bright flash of light called a solar flare
- a radiation storm, or flurry of solar particles propelled into space at high speeds
- an enormous cloud of solar material, called a coronal mass ejection
- When directed toward Earth, a solar storm can create a major disturbance in 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, to our planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere that protect us from the worst of these storms.
