A Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth Could Cause Communication Outages

13th December 2024

2 minutes read

A Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth Could Cause Communication Outages

Earth is expected to experience a powerful solar flare in the coming hours, which might result in communication outages in certain countries. The anticipated strong disruptions could impact low-frequency navigation signals, leading to difficulties in wireless access.

It appears the Sun has awakened from its slumber, releasing an X-class solar flare, the strongest category of solar flares, which might cause communication outages in several countries worldwide, according to Space.

In the coming hours, up to 60% of communication and radio services might be disrupted in some regions globally after a particularly intense solar flare was directed toward Earth on Thursday morning, as reported by the Daily Mail, citing the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Solar flares, when they erupt, emit radiation at the speed of light from the Sun’s surface. If this radiation collides with Earth, it can disrupt the ionosphere, the upper layer of the atmosphere that supports wireless communications and radio services, according to the British newspaper.

Although the anticipated disruptions may affect low-frequency navigation signals, causing difficulties in wireless access, experts predict that communication and radio service interruptions will be moderate and could persist until late Thursday evening.

According to a tweet by space physicist Tamitha Skov on X (formerly Twitter): “The solar storm heading toward Earth will strike from the west. Unfortunately, incoming fast solar wind streams might deflect the structure further west,” pointing to mild impacts expected by midday on December 11.

The X-class solar flare, the most intense and impactful type on Earth’s atmosphere, is expected to disrupt shortwave radio waves and wireless communications in several parts of the world.

Additionally, a phenomenon known as the aurora borealis could appear in some regions, resulting from the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with Earth’s magnetic field, illuminating the sky with colors such as green, pink, red, yellow, blue, and purple.

Finally, it’s worth noting that solar flares are bursts of electromagnetic radiation originating from sunspots or dark regions on the Sun’s surface, caused by powerful magnetic fields.