Dangerous Filaments on Sun Create Fears of Solar Storms on Earth
The rise in solar activity due to the Sun approaching the peak of its solar cycle has created concerns about the harmful effects of solar weather on Earth. The Solar Maximum is not expected until late 2024 or early 2025, but the increasing intensity of sunspots, solar flares, and CME clouds has raised worries about the potential damage it can cause to our technology infrastructure. Recent observations suggest that harmless solar phenomena like magnetic filaments could turn into destructive forces.
According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, a new photo taken by an astrophotographer has highlighted more than a dozen magnetic filaments on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. The most significant filament runs along the high northern hemisphere of the sun, and some parts of it have been exploding for days. With so many filaments on the Sun, a geoeffective CME may only be a matter of time.
What Are Magnetic Filaments?
Magnetic filaments are large structures of plasma and magnetic fields that extend out from the surface of the Sun, often in loops. These flares contain high radiation and are powerful enough to eject CME into space. On April 15, a magnetic filament launched a small CME cloud towards Earth. However, due to its low intensity, it failed to create a geomagnetic storm when it impacted Earth on April 19.
The Dangers of Solar Storms
Filaments like these can cause shortwave radio blackouts when they erupt and then trigger geomagnetic storms when CME particles reach Earth. With an intensifying solar weather, such solar storms can damage satellites, disrupt mobile networks, internet services, and GPS signals, cause power grid failure, and even damage sensitive electronic devices on Earth.
As per information from the source, for now, we can only wait and watch if any of these magnetic filaments become unstable and erupt or not. If they do, a solar storm with the potential to cause significant damage might be on the horizon.
In conclusion, while the sun’s magnetic filaments might seem relatively harmless, their increasing frequency and intensity have created worries of potential dangers from solar weather. With technology playing an ever-important role in our daily lives, it is crucial to stay vigilant and prepared for any adverse effects from solar storms on Earth.
