Mumbai, May 16: According to NASA scientists, Earth would only have 30 minutes' notice before a potentially catastrophic solar storm hit any location on the globe. The space agency has been working on an early warning system that might overcome the shortcomings of the existing system by using AI models on solar data.

Due to the fact that light, in the form of radio waves, may move a little more quickly than the solar material expelled out of the Sun, the present short timeframe exists. However, there is optimism since researchers have started training a deep learning mode called DAGGER, which has more requirements than the current prediction algorithms. Solar Storm Could Strike Earth, Warns NASA; Know Dates, Effects on Our Planet and Other Details Inside.

ACE, Wind, IMP-8, and Geotail are a few of the satellites that have been monitoring solar output and providing data to the NASA team. Additionally, data has been gathered from surface-based stations that were impacted by several of the storms that the satellites had previously spotted.

Scientists say that the most recent algorithm can forecast the strength and direction of a solar storm event in less than a second and is capable of doing so every minute. In comparison to past systems, which were constrained by their own processing capabilities and could only anticipate where a storm would hit, DAGGER can also make predictions for the whole Earth's surface.

The debut of the new system on an open source platform coincides with the Sun ramping up to the top of its 11-year solar cycle in 2025, making it timely for data collection. Before the most severe weather hits, that allows utility and telecom firms time to incorporate DAGGER into their warning systems.  Northern Lights in India: Strong Solar Storm Causes Skies Over Ladakh to Show Rare Auroras (See Pics). 

Given the lessons learned from the past, it may imply that the correct individuals will be alerted to the threat more quickly than they otherwise would have been.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 16, 2023 10:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).