Our Sun, which has begun its 11-year cycle, is in a very active phase and several reports have been cited that we will see continuous solar flares. Scientists have reported that these solar flares can be really dangerous and currently, they are causing many satellites to fall back to Earth. Here’s what you need to know about solar flares and how harmful they can be:
What are Solar Flares?
a solar flare It is a rapid burst of electromagnetic radiation generated in the Sun’s atmosphere. They are the largest explosive events in our solar system and can last for minutes or even hours.
according to a report of SunAbout every 11 years, the magnetic field on the Sun reverses. This means that the north and south poles change and this can cause the sun to misbehave before it sets. Once it stabilizes, the magnetic field flips over and the cycle begins again.
How dangerous can they be?
Solar flares are bursts of radiation from the Sun that sometimes strike Earth or shoot into deep space. Earth’s atmosphere filters out most of these volcanoes.
However, they can still affect our technology and confuse migratory animals that rely on magnetic fields for direction. Flares can cause radio blackouts and affect satellite communications such as electric power grids, the Internet, mobile phones, navigation signals, etc.
The cause for concern at present is how these flames are currently damaging satellite communications.
The European Space Agency is concerned about its Swarm constellation, which measures Earth’s magnetic field. ESA’s Swarm mission manager Anja Stromey told SPACE.com: “Over the past five, six years, the satellites were sinking for two and a half kilometers. [1.5 miles] one year.
“But since December last year, they have been diving virtually. Between December and April, the drowning rate has been 20 km [12 miles] Per year.”
“There’s a lot of complex physics that we still don’t fully understand that’s going on in the upper layers of the atmosphere where it interacts with the solar wind,” Stromé said.
“We know that this interaction causes upheaval in the atmosphere. This means that the denser air moves upward to a higher altitude.”