All posts tagged: space weather

Scientists Warn of Inadequate Solar Storm Forecasting: What You Need to Know

Scientists Warn of Inadequate Solar Storm Forecasting: What You Need to Know

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Imagine being told a storm is approaching, but you won’t know how dangerous it truly is until minutes before impact. That’s the reality scientists face with solar storms. Although scientists have improved our ability to monitor coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun and project their arrival at Earth, the most important consideration — the orientation of the storm’s magnetic field — remains unknown until the very last minute. This direction, referred to as the Bz component, decides whether the CME will pass by with little influence or cause disturbances to satellites, electricity grids, and GPS systems. Lack of Early Bz Data Leaves Earth Vulnerable to Solar Storms, Scientists Urge Wider Sun Coverage As per a report on Space.com, solar physicist Valentín Martínez Pillet emphasised that knowing the Bz value earlier could dramatically improve our ability to prepare. Currently, spacecraft like NASA’s ACE and DSCOVR detect Bz only when the CME reaches Lagrange Point 1 (L1), giving us just 15 to 60 minutes’ warning. Martínez Pillet predicts it could take 50 years to achieve the …

Sun Unleash a 600,000-Mile Filament in Fiery Eruption

Sun Unleash a 600,000-Mile Filament in Fiery Eruption

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A stunning solar eruption captured on video on the night of May 12-13 has revealed a 600,000-mile-long filament blasting away from the sun’s northern hemisphere. The outburst occurred around 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT) and spanned a distance more than twice that between Earth and the moon. A massive solar filament suspended above the sun’s surface became unstable and erupted, blasting a CME into space along with a cloud of plasma and magnetic energy. Preliminary models show Earth is nowhere in the firing range of this fiery ejection, but researchers are still watching the phenomenon closely. Sun’s 600,000-Mile-Long ‘Angel-Wing’ Eruption Stuns Skywatchers, Signals Rising Solar Activity As per the Space.com report, the eruption originated from a filament structure composed of dense, cooler solar plasma held aloft by magnetic fields. These structures often appear as dark ribbons across the sun’s disk and can become unstable without warning. Solar observers noted that this latest eruption dwarfed similar recent events, both in scale and intensity. Aurora chaser Jure Atanackov remarked that the CME from the blast was among the most …

NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Prepares to Map the Solar System’s Edge

NASA’s IMAP Spacecraft Prepares to Map the Solar System’s Edge

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On may 10th, a semitrailer delivered NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe or IMAP to the Astrotech space operations facility all the way from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The IMAP mission is a modern-day celestial cartographer that will map the solar system by studying the heliosphere, a giant bubble created by the Sun’s solar wind that surrounds our solar system and protects it from harmful interstellar radiation. Tentatively scheduled for launch no earlier than fall 2025 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy, IMAP will be processed fuelled and encapsulated by the technicians in Astrotech facility. About the mission According to reported  NASA’s blog, The IMAP mission will orbit the Sun at a location called Lagrange Point 1 (L1), which is about one million miles from Earth towards the Sun. From this location, IMAP can measure the local solar wind and scan the distant heliosphere without background from planets and their magnetic fields. The spacecraft will use 10 scientific instruments to study and map the …

Hidden Solar Cycle Could Reshape Space Weather for the Next 50 Years, Finds Study

Hidden Solar Cycle Could Reshape Space Weather for the Next 50 Years, Finds Study

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The Gleissberg Cycle, named after the German astronomer Wolfgang Gleissberg, helps to explain why space weather is projected to get more intense in the following decades. More sunspots, flares, and coronal mass ejections result from the sun’s twisted magnetic field in this cycle. The proton soup surrounding Earth will get denser as solar cycle 25 wanes and passes. Long-term observations of the sun’s continuous active character suggest more high-energy protons and hint towards Earth’s atmosphere getting hotter. Hidden Solar Cycle Awakens, Fueling Surging Solar Activity As per the new study, the unexpected surge of solar activity during the ongoing solar maximum may be tied to a lesser-known, 100-year-long cycle that is just beginning to ramp up again. The findings could lead to further increases in solar activity that may threaten Earth-orbiting spacecraft and continue to trigger vibrant auroras across the globe. Influenced by periodic solar activity patterns, the 11-year solar cycle is said to be a natural fluctuation in the activity of our home star that spans a tranquil solar minimum to a chaotic maximum, …

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Flyby of the Sun at Record Speed

NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Flyby of the Sun at Record Speed

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NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has made its second close flyby of the sun. The spacecraft travelled at a speed of 692000 kilometres per hour. It moved within 6.1 million kilometres of the sun. This event took place on March 22. A signal confirming its good health was received on March 25. The signal confirmed that all systems on board were working as planned. The probe was designed to study solar winds and collect data from the sun’s outer atmosphere. The mission is being used to help scientists understand solar activity that affects Earth. More About The Mission According to NASA’s announcement, the probe’s instruments were activated during the pass. They were used to study the corona. This is the outer layer of the sun’s atmosphere. The spacecraft was operated on its own during the flyby. It had been programmed in advance. Scientists believe this data may help them understand why the corona is hotter than the sun’s surface. The data is also being used to study changes in space weather. This information is considered important …

Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer

Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer

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A towering spiral of plasma has been recorded extending millions of kilometres from the Sun. The video was taken by the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter during an eight-hour period on October 12, 2022. A coronal mass ejection caused the plasma to rise from the Sun’s surface. The footage captured something which was never observed before. It showed a swirling motion in the solar wind. As per the latest report, scientists also recorded bright streaks that were moving across the frame. Researchers also revealed that these streaks appeared as pixelated lines, which might also ressemble like UFOs. Scientists later confirmed they were distant stars visible due to the imaging process. Study Identifies Plasma Formation as a Pseudostreamer The study published in The Astrophysical Journal revealed that the massive structure that appeared in the photos was a large pseudostreamer. It was formed near the Sun’s north pole after a solar flare erupted. The report further highlighted that the plasma reached 1.5 times the Sun’s width and remained visible for three hours. Scientists believes the twisting movement …

X-Class Solar Flare From Emerging Sunspot Causes Radio Blackouts

X-Class Solar Flare From Emerging Sunspot Causes Radio Blackouts

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A powerful X-class solar flare was unleashed by an emerging sunspot region leading to radio blackouts over large parts of North and South America. The flare was classified as X1.1 and was reported to have erupted from sunspot region AR4046. This unexpected solar event was recorded on March 28. The flare impacted shortwave radio signals across the sunlit areas at the time of eruption, which disrupted communication in several regions. Solar Flare Triggered By Sunspot AR4046 Reportedly, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the solar flare originated from sunspot region AR4046. It was reported that the flare was accompanied by a filament eruption and a coronal mass ejection. A coronal mass ejection refers to an expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s corona. Reports have stated that this specific ejection is not expected to directly affect Earth because of the sunspot’s location on the eastern limb of the sun during the flare. Potential For Future Solar Activity Solar physicist Halo CME, in a post shared …

NASA to Launch Three Rockets in Alaska to Study Auroral Substorms’ Impact

NASA to Launch Three Rockets in Alaska to Study Auroral Substorms’ Impact

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An important mission is set to take place in Alaska. It aims to understand how auroral substorms impact the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Three rockets will be launched within a short window to observe the movement of air and changes in composition at high altitudes. Scientists seek to determine whether the heat from auroras causes vertical movement or if waves spread the energy across a wider area. The findings could improve space weather forecasting, which is crucial for satellites and communication systems. Study Objective and Launch Plan According to the reports from the experiment titled Auroral Waves Excited by Substorm Onset Magnetic Events (AWESOME), the rockets will be launched from Poker Flat Research Range. The facility, located 20 miles north of Fairbanks, is managed by the University of Alaska Fairbanks under a NASA contract. The launch window is open from 24 March to April 6. A four-stage rocket and two two-stage rockets will be used. The first two will release tracers at specific altitudes to study wind movement. The third rocket will release vapour tracers at …

NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather

NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather

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Under the night sky in California, NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 11:43 p.m. PDT on March 14 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Three small satellites, designed to study Earth’s auroral electrojets, were carried into orbit. The deployment of these satellites was confirmed at approximately 2 a.m. PDT on March 15. Over the next ten days, signals will be transmitted to ensure they are functioning properly before commencing their 18-month mission. Mission Objectives and Scientific Significance According to the mission details shared by NASA, EZIE’s satellites will operate in a formation known as “pearls-on-a-string,” flying between 260 and 370 miles above Earth. These satellites will map the intense electrical currents that flow through the upper atmosphere in polar regions. These currents, linked to solar storms, influence auroras and Earth’s magnetic field. The study aims to improve understanding of space weather and its effects on technology, including satellite operations and communication systems. Speaking to NASA, Jared Leisner, Program Executive for EZIE, stated that small-scale missions like …

Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity

Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity

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India’s space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, has recorded a never-before-seen solar flare phenomenon, marking a major step in solar research. The Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) onboard the spacecraft captured an image of a solar flare ‘kernel’ in the lower solar atmosphere. The observation was made in the Near Ultra-violet (NUV) spectrum, revealing crucial insights into solar activity and its potential effects on Earth. The mission, launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on September 2, 2023, continues to provide significant scientific data. Findings from the Study According to research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the SUIT instrument observed an X6.3-class solar flare on February 22, 2024. The flare’s intensity, classified among the most powerful solar eruptions, was studied in the NUV wavelength range (200-400 nm) for the first time in such detail. The recorded data suggests that energy from the flare spreads through different atmospheric layers, reinforcing theories about solar dynamics while offering new insights into plasma behaviour. How Aditya-L1 Observes Solar Flares Aditya-L1’s position at the first Earth-Sun Lagrange Point (L1), located …