Latest news with #Vincent_Ledvina
Express Tribune
20-05-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
NASA issues warning on extreme solar weather with blackout potential
Photo: Sunspot activity grows as Nasa warns of possible blackouts and radio loss Listen to article Solar storms and intense space weather are expected in the coming days and weeks as a highly active region of the Sun becomes visible. This activity casue auroras and potential blackout on earth, astronomers warn. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recently recorded the most powerful eruption of the year – an X2.7-class solar flare – from a newly formed sunspot cluster, now designated AR4087. The flare, which occurred earlier this week, triggered temporary radio blackouts across the Middle East. High-frequency signals were interrupted for roughly 10 minutes, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 'This is getting intense,' wrote space photographer Vincent Ledvina in a social media post. 'Especially as this active region turns closer into view.' Photo: Twitter WOW, happening now: an X2.7 flare from AR 4087 rotating in. This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view. This same AR just produced an M5.3 flare a few hours ago. What does this AR have planned over the next days… we'll have to wait and see. — Vincent Ledvina (@Vincent_Ledvina) May 14, 2025 Experts warn that continued activity from this area could cause further disturbances to satellite communications, navigation systems, and even electrical grids. There is also increased risk to spacecraft and astronauts due to heightened radiation exposure. The Sun is currently nearing the peak of its 11-year solar cycle – a phase known as the solar maximum – when magnetic turbulence is at its most extreme. This upheaval leads to frequent flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can result in dazzling aurora displays when charged particles interact with Earth's magnetic field. With several sunspot regions now facing Earth and a magnetically active area emerging over the Sun's southeastern horizon, forecasters predict more intense solar weather events in the near future. 'There are currently up to five sunspot regions on the facing side of the Sun,' the UK Met Office stated in its latest space weather forecast.
NDTV
15-05-2025
- Climate
- NDTV
Blackouts Around The World As Strongest Solar Flare Of 2025 Hits Earth, Experts Say "More To Come"
The sun erupted with the year's most powerful solar flare on Wednesday, triggering widespread radio blackouts. The massive flare, one of two unleashed that day, caused shortwave radio disruptions across North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as reported by The sun unleashed the massive X-class solar flare at approximately 4:25 a.m. ET, marking the peak of the solar storm. The eruption unleashed a burst of X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation that hurtled toward Earth at the speed of light, rapidly ionising the upper atmosphere. This sudden change disrupted high-frequency radio signals, causing communication blackouts for some radio operators across multiple continents. "This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view," aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina wrote in a post on X. WOW, happening now: an X2.7 flare from AR 4087 rotating in. This is getting intense, especially as this active region turns closer into view. This same AR just produced an M5.3 flare a few hours ago. What does this AR have planned over the next days… we'll have to wait and see. — Vincent Ledvina (@Vincent_Ledvina) May 14, 2025 The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre (SWPC) noted that X-class solar flares, like the X2.7 flare on May 14, are rare and among the most powerful. "Flares of this magnitude are not frequent," according to a statement from the NOAA officials. Solar flares are classified into five categories: A, B, C, M, and X, with each level indicating a tenfold energy increase. The X2.7 flare, though at the lower end of the X-class, triggered significant shortwave radio blackouts across five continents. "More To Come" Hours after the X2.7 flare on May 14, 2025, sunspot region AR4087 erupted again with a potent M5.3-class flare. By 7:20 a.m. ET on May 15, it unleashed another, an M7.74-class flare. AR 4087 just produced another solar flare, this time an M7.7 event at 11:18 UTC (May 14). — SolarHam (@SolarHam) May 14, 2025 As the sunspot marches toward direct alignment with Earth, experts warn of potential further disruptions, including radio blackouts and power grid issues. Experts are advising space agencies and power companies to remain on high alert for potential fallout. Some effects of these solar storms include:
