The effects of recent solar storms on Earth

There is never a dull moment on our Sun, a massive ball of fire. On occasion, this activity erupts into solar storms, which are intense bursts of energy that have the potential to affect Earth.

A solar storm with many solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from a large sunspot area occurred in May 2024. Let’s use NASA’s findings to investigate what happened and how it may impact Earth!

An Astronomical Spectacle: Making Sense of the Current Activity

Ebbs and flows are in the Sun’s activity, with high and low points. This cycle included the recent solar storm caused by a big sunspot group known as NOAA Region 3664.

Sunspots are regions of the Sun’s surface that are colder and darker and are associated with strong magnetic activity.

Solar flares are an explosive eruption of these magnetic fields that may release charged particles and light with enormous intensity.

In contrast, converging massive electron clouds (CMEs) are ejected from the solar corona.

Their interaction with Earth’s magnetosphere, the barrier that deflects the majority of solar particles, becomes possible when they are directed toward our planet.

The Solar Storm Could Cause Severe Heat Waves on Earth

The most noticeable effects of the latest storm on Earth were disturbances in:

Northern and Southern Lights: The charged particles from the CME interacted with Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the creation of breathtaking auroras. Observers could see them at lower latitudes than normal, providing a breathtaking light display.