A massive solar storm is scheduled to trigger widespread power outages across the UK and the globe today following a unusual 'one-two' strike from the sun.
A G3 geomagnetic storm struck our planet on Tuesday, triggered by energy released from the Sun into the solar wind.
It is anticipated that these impacts will be noticeable today, accompanied by increased geomagnetic activity forecasted for the coming days.
Occasionally, this energy penetrates Earth's atmosphere and causes gases to shimmer, resulting in the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.
Such solar flares have the potential to affect radio transmissions, electricity distribution networks, and navigational signals globally.
This could potentially endanger spacecraft, astronauts, and elevate radiation levels for high-altitude aircraft as well.
A geomagnetic storm alert has been released in the United States, with authorities advising people to brace themselves for a double impact as both strikes are anticipated to hit our planet.
They are ordered by severity from G1 – which is the least intense – up to G5 representing an extreme event.
Last May, several coronal mass ejections resulted in the most intense geomagnetic storm, significantly affecting the U.S. precision agriculture sector, which relies on GPS technology to enhance crop production and boost farm efficiency.
What exactly is the aurora borealis?
A geomagnetic storm occurs due to energy ejected from the Sun towards Earth via solar winds.
Occasionally, this energy penetrates Earth's atmosphere and causes gases to shimmer, resulting in the phenomenon known as the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights.
You can spot them if the circumstances are favorable .
The Met Office states: "The Aurora Borealis happens due to solar activity and arises when charged particles within the solar wind collide with molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere."
'Solar winds consist of charged particles that flow away from the Sun at velocities close to one million miles per hour.'
When the magnetic orientation of the solar wind opposes the Earth's magnetic field, the two fields merge, enabling these high-energy particles to enter through the Earth's magnetic North and South Poles.
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