A solar storm is a phrase used to describe the atmospheric impacts perceived on Earth as a result of activities on the Sun. You probably see the sun as a brilliant, constant source of light. In actuality, it's an enormous molten gaseous ball that's continuously changing.
When the Sun emits massive bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections, solar storms occur.
These solar storms hurl a torrent of electrical charges and magnetic fields toward the Earth at a speed of roughly three million miles per hour.
There is a solar cycle that lasts roughly 11 years and waxes and wanes. The solar minimum occurs first, followed by an increase in activity and the solar maximum before things calm down again.
When a solar storm hits the Earth, it creates a brilliant phenomenon, known as "northern lights" in regions of the atmosphere visible around the Arctic Circle. Satellites and other kinds of electronic communication can be disrupted by solar storms.
Solar storms begin with a massive explosion on the surface of the Sun. Solar flares are tremendous explosions that may be as strong as billions of nuclear bombs!
Humans on Earth's surface are not at risk from solar storms. These storms are terrifying to think about, yet they can't hurt our bodies as long as we stay on Earth's surface, where we're shielded by the atmosphere. Remember, there's every reason to assume that solar storms have existed for billions of years, dating back to the creation of the sun and Earth. If that's the case, then they've had an impact on all life on Earth. What risk does a solar storm pose in space? Humans and other mammals can be poisoned by extremely high-energy particles, such as those delivered by coronal mass ejections. Unshielded astronauts, such as those heading to the moon, would be at risk. Large doses of radiation could have the potential to be deadly.
The most recent solar storm occurred just a week ago. It had the potential to adversely affect GPS, air travel, mobile satellites and more. However, it only caused a short radio outage on Earth. Solar storms are an extremely fascinating phenomenon that are still being studied.
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