(Dan Tri) - Coronal mass ejections hit the Earth, disrupting the magnetic field and quickly intensifying into geomagnetic storms.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the storm on October 10. On the right is a bright flash of light where the storm started (Image: NASA/SDO).
On October 10, a coronal mass ejection struck Earth at 10:17 p.m. (Vietnam time). The super-strong magnetic storm disrupted the Earth's magnetic field and quickly intensified into a Category 4 geomagnetic storm (the strongest being Category 5) at around 11 a.m. on October 11.
The Sun is currently at its 11-year solar maximum. When coronal mass ejections enter the Earth's magnetosphere, they can trigger geomagnetic storms, the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) warns.
These storms sometimes disrupt the operations of satellites in orbit around Earth and negatively affect many systems such as radio signals and GPS navigation. Geomagnetic storms can also cripple the power grid.
The Halloween storm in October 2023 completely blacked out parts of Sweden and damaged South Africa's electrical infrastructure.
The storm from May 2024 affected GPS systems across the US Midwest and damaged several high-voltage substations.
Also during this storm, experts had to adjust the operations of about 5,000 satellites because the storm inflated the ionosphere, causing the satellites to slow down and deviate from their orbits.
Coronal mass ejections and accompanying geomagnetic storms are a natural part of the Sun's activity cycle.
When this cycle is at its peak, the Sun is at its most active, eruptions occur more frequently, and when they hit Earth, our atmosphere absorbs a huge amount of energy.
As a result, many ground activities are also affected to some extent.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/bao-tu-gop-phan-huy-hoai-mat-dat-nhu-the-nao-20241011162029877.htm
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