What is a Solar Storm?
02-12-2024
07:40 AM
1 min read

Overview:
Scientists have uncovered evidence of an immense solar storm that struck Earth around 664–663 BCE.
About Solar Storm:
- A solar storm is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the Sun.
- What causes a solar storm?
- The sun’s tangled magnetic fields get twisted up as the Sun rotates — with its equator rotating faster than its poles.
- Solar storms typically begin when these twisted magnetic fields on the Sun get contorted and stretched so much that they snap and reconnect (in a process called magnetic reconnection), releasing large amounts of energy.
- These powerful eruptions can generate any or all of the following:
- a bright flash of light called a solar flare.
- a radiation storm, or flurry of solar particles propelled into space at high speeds.
- an enormous cloud of solar material, called a coronal mass ejection, that billows away from the Sun.
- Effects on Earth:
- When directed toward Earth, a solar storm can create a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field, called a geomagnetic storm, that can produce effects such as radio blackouts, power outages, and beautiful auroras.
- They do not cause direct harm to anyone on Earth, however, as our planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the worst of these storms.

Q1: What is the Sun’s Corona?
The Sun’s corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere. The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun's surface. That makes it difficult to see without using special instruments. However, the corona can be viewed during a total solar eclipse.
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