Tag: solar storm
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New Zealand Agencies Brace for the Largest Solar Radiation Storm in More Than 20 Years
Overview: A Space Weather Event with Wide-Ranging Impacts Early this week, space weather monitoring agencies began reporting a significant solar event that could affect high-llying infrastructure and communications on Earth. The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) classified the event as an S4 severe solar radiation storm, describing it as the largest of its kind…
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NZ Agencies Brace for Largest Solar Radiation Storm in Over 20 Years
Overview: A Powerful Space Weather Event Unfolds Early this week, space weather trackers, including the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), reported an S4 “severe” solar radiation storm in progress. Described as the largest of its kind in more than 20 years, the event has caught the attention of New Zealand authorities and researchers who…
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Auroras and Satellite Disruptions Possible as Severe Solar Storm Approaches Earth
What’s Happening: A Strong Solar Storm Heads Toward Earth A powerful burst of solar activity is heading toward Earth, carrying the potential to light up the night sky with unexpected auroras and to interfere with satellite-based services. Images captured by solar observatories show energized particles racing toward our planet, a scenario scientists have long warned…
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Auroras and Satellite Disruptions Possible During Severe Solar Storm
What’s happening with the Sun A powerful solar event is headed toward Earth, with energized particles streaming from the Sun at high speed. Space weather models warn that this solar storm could interact with our planet’s magnetic field, creating dazzling auroras and, at the same time, causing measurable disruptions to satellite-based communications and GPS accuracy.…
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Uncovering the mystery behind colorful aurora skies
What causes the colorful aurora skies? The aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere and the aurora australis in the southern hemisphere are nature’s most spectacular light show. At the heart of the phenomenon is the Sun’s wind—a stream of charged particles that travels through space and toward Earth. When these particles collide with atoms and…
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Crash Clock: How Quickly Satellites Could Collide After a Severe Solar Storm
What the Crash Clock Reveals Researchers studying the aftermath of extreme solar activity have introduced the concept of the “Crash Clock”—a model that estimates how fast satellite collisions could cascade once a severe solar storm disrupts maneuvering and deconfliction in Earth’s orbit. The study warns that with tens of thousands of objects racing through low…
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Crash Clock: How a Severe Solar Storm Could Spark Satellite Collisions—and How Soon
Overview: Why a solar storm matters to satellites As humanity depends more on space-based services—from GPS to high-speed communications—the risks posed by space weather have moved from theoretical concern to practical threat. A severe solar storm can unleash a torrent of charged particles and intense radiation that affects satellite orbits and onboard systems. In an…
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Crash Clock: How Soon Collisions Start After a Severe Solar Storm
What the Crash Clock Really Measures Recently, scientists unveiled a startling way to gauge the immediate dangers posed by space weather and the crowded arena of objects in Earth orbit. The so‑called “Crash Clock” translates a severe solar storm into a concrete timeline showing when satellites and debris would begin to encounter one another if…
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Gannon Solar Storm Shrinks Earth’s Shield: What 2024’s Event Revealed
Overview: A Solar Tempest That Reshaped Space Weather Last year’s solar storm, known in some circles as “Gannon,” delivered more than a spectacular auroral display. According to combined measurements from Japan’s space agency and international partners, the storm temporarily reduced a key protective layer around Earth to roughly one-fifth of its typical size. While the…
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Satellite Data Reveals 2024 Solar Storm Gannon Shrunk Earth’s Plasma Shield to One-Fifth Size
What happened during the 2024 solar storm known as Gannon In late 2024, a powerful solar storm named Gannon unleashed a barrage of charged particles toward Earth. While such storms are not uncommon, scientists were surprised by the extent of the impact on Earth’s protective layers. Data from multiple satellites indicates that the storm compressed…