Global blackout today?, Massive geomagnetic solar storm likely to hit Earth

New York: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States have predicted that a large geomagnetic solar storm would hit the Earth on Thursday, April 14, 2022, potentially causing a global blackout.

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A halo coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed rushing towards Earth on Tuesday, according to NASA and NOAA. The resulting geomagnetic storm, according to the two organisations, will impact Earth on Thursday (April 14).

The Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (CESSI) also revealed the details of the approaching storm on Twitter. “A halo CME was detected by SOHO LASCO on 11 April. Our model fit indicates a very high probability of Earth impact on 14 April 2022 with speeds ranging between 429-575 km/s+,” the CESSI tweet read.

//CESSI SPACE WEATHER BULLETIN//11 April 2022//SUMMARY: QUIET TO MODERATE SPACE WEATHER CONDITIONS// A halo CME was detected by SOHO LASCO on 11 April. Our model fit indicates a very high probability of Earth impact on 14 April, 2022 with speeds ranging between 429-575 km/s + pic.twitter.com/MRFNuLI2hS

— Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India (@cessi_iiserkol) April 11, 2022

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Classification of Geomagnetic storm

It’s a geomagnetic storm of the G2-class. In general, geomagnetic storms are labelled G1 through G5, with G1 denoting a low-level storm with negligible impact and G5 denoting an exceptionally powerful solar storm with serious damage potential.

Is it better to stay at home?

Fortunately, the geomagnetic storm that is anticipated to hit the Earth today is not very powerful, but it will undoubtedly have ramifications. A G5-class geomagnetic storm may theoretically destroy satellites, interrupt GPS, mobile phone networks, internet access, and trigger power grid collapse. Voltage fluctuations can also occur, causing electrical appliances to be damaged.

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According to Tamitha Skov, a space weather researcher, GPS users may potentially be affected. The dangerous UV, infrared, and gamma radiation are all absorbed by the atmosphere, according to experts, and people are not in immediate danger.