Solar storm to cause complete blackout on Earth? NASA finds patterns in Sun’s coronal loops that can…

Solar storms are disturbances on the Sun, which usually emanate outward across the heliosphere, affecting the entire Solar System, including Earth and its magnetosphere. Now, scientists at NASA have found patterns which could help predict solar flares, the most common form of solar disturbances, and the cause of space weather.

A team of scientists using NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory have found patterns in coronal loops, arch-like structures in the Sun’s corona, which could potentially help identify early warning signs of solar flares, helping protect astronauts and technology from perilous space weather caused by this solar phenomenon.

A NASA research team, led by Emily Mason from Predictive Sciences Inc, studied coronal loops near strong solar flares, and observed the luminosity of these loops fluctuated, and “flickered” hours before a solar flare.  “We found that loops above active regions flicker before flares, These flickers help predict the Sun’s activity,” said Emily Mason.

According to the scientists, by observing the flickering patterns in coronal loops, their method can help predict solar flares 2 to 6 hours before they occur, asserting that their method offers more accuracy compared to previous ones, and can could give alerts with 60 to 80 percent accuracy.

“Our research offers a better understanding of solar flares. It could lead to better protection for space technology,” said Seth Garland, a team member.

What are solar storms?

A solar storm is described as a sudden and violent ejection of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material from the Sun. Also known as space weather events, these storms can have significant impacts on Earth and technology, including potentially causing a complete blackout on our planet.

Solar storms are primarily caused by two main  phenomena;

Solar flares

The most common form of solar storms, these intense bursts of radiation from the Sun release enormous amounts of energy, comparable to billions of hydrogen bombs.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

CMEs are massive expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the corona, the Sun’s outer layer. CMEs can travel at millions of miles per hour and carry billions of tons of matter.

Disruptive and beautiful

A solar storm can have both beautiful and disruptive consequences for Earth. Upon reaching the Earth, a solar storm interacts with the  planet’s magnetic field, causing a variety of effects, including auroras, which occur when solar particles interact with Earth’s atmosphere creating beautiful displays of light, called auroras also known as northern lights and southern lights.

Apart from the breathtaking cosmic light show, solar storms can interfere with satellites, GPS systems, and power grids, potentially causing blackouts and communication disruptions.

Additionally, the astronauts in space are exposed to increased radiation during solar storms, which can pose serious health risks.

NASA and other space agencies are heavily invested in predicting solar ejections, and develop an automated system detect changes in coronal loops, which would issue warnings to early warnings to astronauts, spacecraft, and power grids back on Earth.