In 1859, the Carrington Event was the most intense global solar storm ever recorded. The effects were felt all over the Earth.
Telegraph systems in Europe and North America lost power, some even catching on fire. Bright auroras, which are usually confined to polar regions, were seen areas as far away as the Caribbean. And the auroras in the polar regions were so bright, people thought it was daytime in the middle of the night.
Solar storms happen frequently, but extreme solar storms only happen every 100 or 200 years. How do these cosmic events, powered by the Sun, work? And how can scientists protect the Earth from space weather? Let’s dive in.
What Are Solar Storms?
Solar storms are disturbances in space weather caused by the Sun‘s sudden bursts of energy. These include solar flares — which are powerful explosions on the Sun’s surface — and coronal mass ejections, which send massive clouds of charged particles hurtling throughout the solar system.
These storms are most intense during the solar maximum, the peak of the Sun’s roughly 11-year cycle when sunspot activity is at its highest.
During this period, Earth experiences an increase in geomagnetic storms, some of which can even cause temporary radiation belts (as well as temporary variations or enhancements in existing radiation belts).
Scientists are constantly monitoring these solar outbursts to better understand their effects.
How Solar Storms Affect Earth
When solar storms interact with Earth’s magnetic field, they can create dazzling displays near the North and South Poles — better known as the aurora borealis and aurora australis, respectively.
These colorful light shows happen when charged particles slam into the upper atmosphere, exciting atoms and molecules to produce brilliant greens, reds and purples. The more intense the storm, the farther these lights can be seen from the poles.
But it’s not all breathtaking night skies. If these storms are strong enough, they can disrupt Earth’s upper atmosphere.
Solar storms can also wreak havoc on technology. Strong geomagnetic storms can disrupt radio communications and damage satellites.
In extreme cases, like the 1989 event that knocked out power in Quebec, geomagnetic storms have disrupted electrical grids. Space agencies keep a close eye on solar activity, warning us when major storms are headed our way.
The Mystery of Extra Radiation Belts
Normally, Earth is surrounded by two radiation belts, known as the Van Allen belts, which trap high-energy particles from the Sun.
However, during periods of intense solar activity, scientists have discovered that new temporary radiation belts can form.
In 2012, NASA’s Van Allen Probes mission led to the discovery of a temporary third radiation belt around Earth. At first, scientists wondered whether new radiation belts were possible. But it only lasted for about four weeks before being disrupted by a solar shock wave.
These additional proton belts can pose a danger to satellites and astronauts traveling beyond our planet’s protective magnetic field even though they are temporary.
Solar Storms and the Future
As we approach the next solar maximum, solar activity is ramping up, meaning more opportunities to witness the aurora borealis even in regions farther from the poles.
But along with the beauty comes the potential for disruption. The more we understand about solar winds and storms, the better prepared we can be to protect our technology and infrastructure.
The Van Allen Probes and other research efforts continue to uncover new details about how Earth’s magnetic field interacts with the Sun’s energy.
By studying how the Sun’s energy affects the magnetic field lines around Earth, researchers are gaining insights that could help us predict the impact of future solar storms.
We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.
