The sun is much more than just a source of light. It can also pose immense danger to our society – as it did a few days ago. What is space weather and how does it affect our planet and everyday technology? We at MeinMMO explain it to you!
1859 and 2024, what do the two years have in common? Then, as now, something catastrophic happened. An energetic event of immense power crashed into Earth’s orbit and struck us, a solar storm hurled into space from a connected network of sunspots.
At that time, telegraph lines were burning all over the world, the northern lights could be seen at low latitudes and technicians suffered burns. Things were less dire in 2024.
But one thing is still certain: space weather is a danger and we want to briefly explain to you what exactly it is and the danger associated with it.
Meanwhile, suns of various appearances also play a prominent role in Star Citizen. We have the trailer for the Squadron 42 story campaign for you here, which is well worth watching. If you like science fiction, you should at least take a look at the combined MMO single-player experience.
Star Citizen shows the Squadron 42 campaign in the trailer
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Got away slightly singed again, right?
What happened in the past few days? Large amounts of material and radiation emerged from the sunspot group called AR 3664 (via Austria Press Agency). Like the so-called Carrington event (named after the astronomer who described it).
However, the damage was limited, but there were widespread disruptions to satellites and other radio-dependent systems. Furthermore, satellites deviated from course due to changes in atmospheric air resistance (warming and expansion of the air envelope), this is now being corrected.
That’s all, it’s harmless, right? Scientists are still investigating why exactly we escaped relatively unscathed this time, despite a multiple of electrically operated technology in orbit, atmosphere and on the ground.
Solar storms can cause chaos
Adieu Internet? Theoretically, things could have turned out badly. Permanent damage to satellites or electrical equipment can have serious consequences in everyday life (via Astronomy.com). Aside from widespread power outages lasting hours or even days due to burned-out transformers, communication can collapse.
It’s not just radio or GPS signals that can be interrupted. Even the undersea cables are vulnerable to induced currents that would disrupt the connection between servers.
This slide from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for Solar-Terrestrial Physics lists the consequences of historical solar storms.
What can we do to protect ourselves? Depending on the area, different amounts. In the past few days, for example, NASA has stowed away the instruments of the US space agency NASA’s “Chandra” X-ray observatory in order to literally take them out of harm’s way.
But in general, solar storms and their effects remain a research field of great importance. In any case, uninterrupted observation is essential because this is the only way to warn services dependent on satellite technology in good time.
What is space weather?
Space weather In simple terms, it is everything that happens to the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field when the sun or other cosmic sources influence it. The main playing field for this interaction is the ionosphere. Since 1994, solar-terrestrial processes have been referred to as space weather.
Sunspots: Every eleven years our sun goes through a cycle, at the end of which its magnetic field reverses. The solar maximum is expected again in 2025, when sunspots will be most numerous. They represent cooler areas from which the sun throws away more material and emits radiation.
You can get a more in-depth overview of everything discussed here in this lecture by a DLR scientist for solar-terrestrial physics:
What weather conditions are there?
By the way, the next cosmic victim could be Mars. As the sun has continued to rotate, the sunspot group AR 3664 is now targeting our red brother planet. If you’re interested in an interesting building game on Mars, you should take a look at Terraformers.
The title is currently available on Steam for around ten euros. There you build a colony in rounds to ensure the long-term survival and eventual prosperity of the new community on the largely dead planet. Skilled resource management is essential for this.