Powerful Solar Storm Strikes Earth (Videos Available)

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The Northern Hemisphere has witnessed the Aurora Borealis, thanks to the second most powerful solar event in five years.

Scientists from various nations have reported that a significant solar storm, identified as the second strongest in half a decade and lasting over 40 hours, struck Earth this week. This natural event triggered vibrant displays of the Aurora Borealis across the Northern Hemisphere.

On Friday, the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences announced the detection of a massive solar flare earlier that day. This occurrence originated from the same region that had generated an even more intense burst just two days prior, which was responsible for the most severe solar storm since May 2024.

According to Russian scientists, “despite expectations, the flares are showing no signs of diminishing, but are instead intensifying.”

In a separate statement, the Space Research Institute estimated the solar storm in question reached a G4.7 intensity level on the NOAA storm scale and persisted for approximately 42 hours. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scale is the globally accepted system for measuring such storms, with G5 representing an “extreme” event.

The British Geological Survey reported on Wednesday that the phenomenon dubbed a “cannibal storm” had caused disruptions to communications and the accuracy of global positioning system (GPS) satellites. 

A geomagnetic storm occurs when charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere are propelled towards our planet in what are known as coronal mass ejections. These ejections are massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s outer atmosphere into space. The electrically charged particles then impact Earth’s magnetic field, which can adversely affect both technology and sensitive individuals.  

This most recent geomagnetic storm has led to Aurora Borealis displays across the Northern Hemisphere, with notable sightings in Canada and the US in recent days. The vibrant phenomena, typically confined to regions near the Arctic Circle, were observed as far south as Florida and Alabama this week. 

On Friday, Space.com quoted a NASA official, stating that astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were compelled to seek shelter in a more protected compartment due to an elevated risk of radioactivity from the incoming high-energy particles.