Hey Readers, you’ve all heard a lot about natural disasters and phenomena like tornadoes, floods, droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, and more. But one uncommon term is Solar Storms. It may seem like a negligible matter, but it could either be a minor event or one of the deadliest threats for humankind.
What are Solar Storms?
Imagine a fusion of a tsunami and a tornado happening in the sea. Now, if we replace the sea with the sun, you can think of it as a solar storm. But comparing the surface of the sea to the sun isn’t exactly accurate. The sea only splashes water, and the primary material in the rampage is water. On the other hand, the sun is a mix of various gases like helium, hydrogen, and more, along with many invisible energy fields such as magnetic forces, and a massive source of photons (light).
So, in essence, a solar storm is the explosion of different types of radiation and particles, energy surges, magnetic fields, and light emissions.
There are several factors that lead to a solar storm. These include sudden changes in energy and shifts in the polarity of magnetic fields on the sun’s surface.
Is it concerning?
It’s not like a visual storm that can appear scary, causing immediate widespread damage. Instead, it has long-term effects on humankind. The sun and Earth are connected by gravitational forces, and there’s no great medium between them. However, just as we can connect satellite stations and electronic devices in space, on Mars, or the Moon, we can transmit frequencies over waves. Light also serves as a medium between the Earth and the sun. So, a solar storm can affect us through these mediums.
What could we actually witness?
A long-term electricity blackout all over the world or specific regions. Radio signals and signals transmitted through the air might get corrupted, leaving us unable to access the internet, communicate, or gather space-related information from satellites. The incoming particles could damage the satellites, causing wave signals to become corrupted. This could lead to a “contact blackout,” where mobile towers and devices misbehave, especially during the peak of such a situation.
Aside from these problems, we might witness a beautiful display of various colors in the northern and southern skies due to the magnetic field and the reaction of particles interacting with the Earth’s gases.
According to NASA, a part of the solar storm, a strong solar flare, was detected on January 3, 2025, at 5:41 pm. Nothing much happened, but this could be a pre-indication of a mega storm.
In conclusion, should we be concerned?
Overall, there’s no immediate cause for concern. Natural disasters are a part of Earth’s ecosystem. However, we should keep our planet as healthy as possible to avoid larger natural and social impacts on humankind.