What Does solar storm Mean
A storm is an intense churning of the atmosphere, which can include precipitation, gusts, and other phenomena. Solar , for its part, is that which is linked to the Sun (the star that is located in the center of the Solar System and around which planet Earth revolves ).
To understand what a solar storm is , you have to know various concepts. On the one hand, it is essential to know that the magnetosphere is the area that surrounds the Earth about a hundred kilometers away, where the Earth's magnetism influences the particles that are ionized. The magnetosphere, in this way, is responsible for protecting the planet from the solar wind .
The solar wind , for its part, is the movement of the solar corona (the outer layer of the Sun ). This corona is composed of plasma (gaseous matter whose particles have an electrical charge).
With these notions clear, we can focus on the idea of a solar storm , also called a geomagnetic storm . This storm involves the disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere due to a wave of solar wind and radiation that is released from the solar corona.
This wave reaches our planet at least 24 hours after its emission and can cause problems in telecommunications and electrical networks. Some also argue that, during a solar storm, the risks of stroke are increased.
The largest solar storm in history took place in 1859 , when the telegraph system failed and the Northern Lights could be observed in different countries. It was named the Carrington Storm in honor of Richard Carrington, the astronomer who observed it and the first to explain the relationship between the activity of the Sun and the geomagnetic alterations of our planet.
The Carrington Storm brought with it the northern lights, seen in Honolulu and Cuba, and the southern lights, seen in Santiago de Chile. The intensity of the flashes was such that some North American witnesses claimed to be able to read the newspaper without the need for artificial light, a fact that Daniel Baker, a member of the University of Colorado, commented in 2010, more specifically of its Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics and Space.
Like a catastrophic scene out of an American movie, the solar storm of 1859 caused sparks to fly from the telegraphs and some to drift into fires, many operators of the time reported. While the technology of the mid-19th century seems precarious and limited to us, the mere possibility of a similar storm taking place today changes the perspective: the geomagnetic disturbances that then affected a not so important aspect of daily life today would leave us paralyzed .
Technology has become an essential part of our lives, so much so that for many people it is their only source of income: we depend on the Internet for almost all our activities, from leisure to education and communication . As some specialists point out, we live submerged in a "cyber bubble", which would undoubtedly burst before a solar storm of a similar magnitude to that of 1859.
It is important to point out the three phases in which a solar storm is divided from those that go to our planet. The first thing we can observe is the appearance of solar flares ; ultraviolet light and x-rays ionize the upper atmospheric layer, causing interference to radio communications. Then comes the radiation storm , which can pose great dangers for any group of astronauts in full activity.
The last phase of the solar storm is the coronal mass ejection ; It is a cloud of charged particles, and the time it takes to reach our atmosphere is usually several days. Once there, the interaction of the solar particles with the Earth's magnetic field causes electromagnetic fluctuations of considerable magnitude.