Solar Storm Heading Towards the Earth Today: No Power or Radio Failure, Calm Down Internet!

The ‘end of the world’ possibilities are one thing that takes the internet by storm. So there is a certain buzz seen online about the oncoming of a solar storm. It is not false, a geomagnetic storm is headed towards the northern hemisphere but it is actually a pretty mild one. Solar storms occur when the sun emits huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and mass ejections. So a stream of electrical charges and magnetic fields head towards the Earth at a speed of about three million miles per hour. this geomagnetic storm is expected to hit the earth on March 15. So should we be worried? No, it is actually a mild level.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is of a G1-level storm- the lowest level on the scale of solar storm measurement. The storm has the potential to create small disruptions in satellite communications and can cause small surges in power grids. So you might experience power fluctuations at sometimes. The powerful ones are dangerous and can create a havoc with older generation satellites. How do solar storms affect the earth?

This particular solar storm is likely to be caused by different phenomenon- the cooler, denser regions compared to the surrounding plasma in the space. these are open magnetic fields which allow solar winds to escape easily into space. The British Met department said, "With no sunspot regions on the visible side of the Sun, solar activity was very low, with no flares observed.” So the sun is relatively behaving cooler.

Check the  Space Weather Prediction Center's report about the solar storm:

Certain news reports may be highlighting the solar storm as something immense but it is definitely not a thing to worry about. The fluctuations may not be even noticed by you. In fact, the solar storm may give way to the beautiful Northern Lights or the Auroras. So, for someone who is freaking out over the solar storm, let them know to be just calm about it.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 15, 2018 12:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).