• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Scientists issue warning over radiation storm that could slam Earth today causing power blackouts

Home> News> World News

Published 14:25 14 May 2024 GMT+1

Scientists issue warning over radiation storm that could slam Earth today causing power blackouts

There could be some disruption to satellites and power grids as a result of upcoming radiation storms in space

Kit Roberts

Kit Roberts

Scientists have warned that a radiation storm could impact Earth in the coming days.

In and of themselves, solar storms are not an uncommon cosmic event, but these ones are a bit different.

Most of the time when there's a solar flare or solar storm large enough to reach Earth, it goes off on a part of the Sun, which is pointing away from the Earth.

So, even if it was a gigantic solar flare it's fine, because it will miss us by a very long way.

Advert

Others might be heading towards us, but aren't strong enough to make it all the way to Earth.

Sometimes, however, the solar flares are both powerful enough to reach us here on Earth and also pointing in the right direction, though maybe it's more the wrong direction?

This can cause disruption to things like communications, as well as electrical systems and computers in extreme circumstances.

We could see some disruption from solar flares. (DrPixel / Getty)
We could see some disruption from solar flares. (DrPixel / Getty)

Advert

Lately, we have had a spate of difficult 'solar weather', with the Sun releasing streams of electromagnetic radiation.

These contain large quantities of charged particles, and due to the intense magnetic activity on the Sun's surface, there are a lot more of them than usual, and they're going faster.

For those of us with our feet planted firmly on the ground, this means potential disruptions to communications and power grids.

If you're an astronaut up in space, there's also a heightened risk of radiation hazards.

Advert

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shown a 60 percent chance of a solar 'radiation storm', which will start tomorrow.

Fortunately, solar flares are predicted to miss Earth, but the radiation storms have a more wide-reaching structure.

There could be some satellite disruption. (MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty stock image)
There could be some satellite disruption. (MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty stock image)

This is because they emanate from the Sun in a spiral pattern, which covers a far broader area than a solar flare.

Advert

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory team explained: "[As] the Sun rotates, the Sun's magnetic field expands outwards in a spiral pattern, the Parker Spiral."

The problem here is that some of the substances from a solar flare can get caught up in this spiral.

In the NASA team's words, this leads to 'the charged particles of the solar wind spraying out into the solar system like a garden sprinkler.'

Graphic.

Advert

Earth has potentially had some impact from this already, with farmers in Minnesota and Nebraska experiencing disruptions to their GPS systems.

Farmer Kevin Kenney told 404 Media: "All the tractors are sitting at the ends of the field right now shut down because of the solar storm. No GPS."

Featured Image Credit: Adrian Mann/Future Publishing via Getty Images / Getty Stock Images

Topics: News, Science, Space, World News, Weather, Technology

Kit Roberts
Kit Roberts

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
9 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Amazon Prime series with near-perfect RT score is labeled 'one of the best' by Stephen King

    The series starring Titus Welliver has been branded 'one of the most underrated TV shows'

    Film & TV
  • 9 hours ago

    People horrified after hearing tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s ‘sociopathic’ response about the future of humanity

    People have been creeped out by how he answered a simple question

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Doctor issues warning over hidden symptoms of Lyme disease as tick bites near record highs in US states

    Parts of the US have seen a sudden uptick in tick bites

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    ‘World’s top couple’s therapist’ reveals the one surprising behavior in people’s relationships that ‘scares her’

    The psychologist said this one thing in other couples doesn't seem real

    News
  • Experts issue urgent warning over city-destroying asteroid that could devastate Earth without direct impact
  • Scientists issue strong warning for Kessler Syndrome that's putting us in ‘imminent danger’
  • China and USA's rare earth mineral deal could prevent $34,000,000,000 black hole in American economy
  • Scientists reveal the most populated cities at risk of 'city-destroying' asteroid that could hit Earth in seven years