#geomagneticstorm

[the-fact-site]

Geomagnetic solar storms can cause widespread blackouts on Earth, with the last significant storm in 1989 causing Quebec’s electrical grid to collapse. #FACT

[starseededhippie]

Came across this and thought I'd share

[nasa]

Solar System: Things to Know This Week

It’s the time of year for summer break, swimming, and oh, yes storms. June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season on the Atlantic coast, but we’re not alone. Our neighboring planets have seen their fair share of volatile weather, too (like the Cassini spacecraft’s view of the unique six-sided jet stream at Saturn’s north pole known as “the hexagon”). 

This week, we present 10 of the solar system’s greatest storms.

1. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

With tumultuous winds peaking at 400 mph, the Great Red Spot has been swirling wildly over Jupiter’s skies for at least 150 years and possibly much longer. People saw a big spot on Jupiter as early as the 1600s when they started stargazing through telescopes, though it’s unclear whether they were looking at a different storm. Today, scientists know the Great Red Spot has been there for a while, but what causes its swirl of reddish hues remains to be discovered. More >

2. Jupiter’s Little Red Spot

Despite its unofficial name, the Little Red Spot is about as wide as Earth. The storm reached its current size when three smaller spots collided and merged in the year 2000. More >

3. Saturn’s Hexagon

The planet’s rings might get most of the glory, but another shape’s been competing for attention: the hexagon. This jet stream is home to a massive hurricane tightly centered on the north pole, with an eye about 50 times larger than the average hurricane eye on Earth. Numerous small vortices spin clockwise while the hexagon and hurricane spin counterclockwise. The biggest of these vortices, seen near the lower right corner of the hexagon and appearing whitish, spans about 2,200 miles, approximately twice the size of the largest hurricane on Earth. More>

4. Monster Storm on Saturn 

A tempest erupted in 2010, extending approximately 9,000 miles north-south large enough to eventually eat its own tail before petering out. The storm raged for 200 days, making it the longest-lasting, planet-encircling storm ever seen on Saturn. More >

5. Mars’ Dust Storm 

Better cover your eyes. Dust storms are a frequent guest on the Red Planet, but one dust storm in 2001 larger by far than any seen on Earth raised a cloud of dust that engulfed the entire planet for three months. As the Sun warmed the airborne dust, the upper atmospheric temperature rose by about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. More >

6. Neptune’s Great Dark Spot

Several large, dark spots on Neptune are similar to Jupiter’s hurricane-like storms. The largest spot, named the “Great Dark Spot” by its discoverers, contains a storm big enough for Earth to fit neatly inside. And, it looks to be an anticyclone similar to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. More >

7. Sun Twister 

Not to be confused with Earth’s tornadoes, a stalk-like prominence rose up above the Sun, then split into about four strands that twisted themselves into a knot and dispersed over a two-hour period. This close-up shows the effect is one of airy gracefulness. More >

8. Titan’s Arrow-shaped Storm 

The storm blew across the equatorial region of Titan, creating large effects in the form of dark and likely “wet” from liquid hydrocarbons areas on the surface of the moon. The part of the storm visible here measures 750 miles in length east-to-west. The wings of the storm that trail off to the northwest and southwest from the easternmost point of the storm are each 930 miles long. More >

9. Geomagnetic Storms

On March 9, 1989, a huge cloud of solar material exploded from the sun, twisting toward Earth. When this cloud of magnetized solar material called a coronal mass ejection reached our planet, it set off a chain of events in near-Earth space that ultimately knocked out an entire power grid area to the Canadian province Quebec for nine hours. More >

10. Super Typhoon Tip

Back on Earth, Typhoon Tip of 1979 remains the biggest storm to ever hit our planet, making landfall in Japan. The tropical cyclone saw sustained winds peak at 190 mph and the diameter of circulation spanned approximately 1,380 miles. Fortunately, we now have plans to better predict future storms on Earth. NASA recently launched a new fleet of hurricane-tracking satellites, known as the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), which will use the same GPS technology you and I use in our cars to measure wind speed and ultimately improve how to track and forecast hurricanes. More >

Discover more lists of 10 things to know about our solar system HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

[newsababil360]

Pulsating Northern Lights Captured in Unprecedented Detail Amid Massive Geomagnetic Storm

### Unprecedented Pulsations Light Up the Arctic Night An elite aurora researcher stationed on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago documented an extraordinary three‑hour pulsating northern‑lights display on Tuesday. The event unfolded as a planetary‑scale geomagnetic storm slammed the polar regions, producing rhythmic surges of green and violet curtains that brightened and faded in a pattern rarely recorded by scientists. **Key Takeaways** - The pulsating aurora persisted for approximately three hours, far longer than typical substorm displays. - The phenomenon was observed amid a massive geomagnetic storm that enveloped high‑latitude locations worldwide. - Researchers captured a vivid alternation of green and violet ribbons, a visual signature seldom documented in scientific literature. - Data from this event will enhance models of space weather and improve understanding of magnetosphere‑ionosphere interactions. - The storm highlights heightened solar activity and its growing influence on Arctic atmospheric conditions. #AuroraResearch #Svalbard #GeomagneticStorm #NorthernLights #SpaceWeather #ArcticScience #SolarActivity #AtmosphericPhenomena #PolarScience #newsababil360 [Read Full Article](https://news.ababil360.com/pulsating-northern-lights-captured-in-unprecedented-detail-amid-massive-geomagnetic-storm/)

[zoemartinau]

The recent G4 storm, sparked by a coronal mass ejection, has rattled Earth's magnetic field in ways we don't often feel day-to-day. For Australians, it means a rare shot at seeing the aurora australis dance across southern skies—if the clouds clear. Beyond the spectacle, it's a gentle nudge: our power grids, satellites, and daily tech rely on a stable space environment. In a region where we lead in southern hemisphere monitoring, it's a moment to appreciate the quiet work of scientists keeping watch, and our shared place under the same sun. Humanity's always been tied to these cosmic rhythms.

[my-asianewstoday-blog]

U.S. Weather Agency Issued Severe Geomagnetic Storm Warning http://dlvr.it/TPFRDW

[lifesciencesmagazine]

NASA Warns of Intense Solar Storm Threatening Global Communications and Power Grids

Source: thesun.co.uk

NASA has issued a significant warning about a major NASA solar storm heading toward Earth following a powerful solar flare released on May 14. The flare, classified as X2.7, one of the strongest on the solar flare scale, originated from the sun’s most active region, which is now rotating directly into Earth’s view. The flare has already disrupted radio communications across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East and caused some power issues in the eastern United States.

Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation from sunspots, which are darker, cooler regions on the sun’s surface. These bursts are known for releasing vast amounts of energy and have the potential to interfere with various technological systems on Earth. According to NASA, more flares from this active solar region could disrupt “radio communications, electric power grids, navigation signals,” and also pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts.

Space weather expert Vincent Ledvina commented on the situation via social media, noting, “This is getting intense,” especially as the active sunspot continues rotating toward Earth. While these events can pose serious risks, they also bring natural beauty. NASA confirmed that the northern lights, or auroras, will be visible across 11 U.S. states due to the NASA solar storm impact.

Northern Lights and Ongoing Solar Activity

As a side effect of this solar activity, vibrant auroras are expected to light up the skies across several U.S. states, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Maine, as well as parts of New York. These northern lights are caused by interactions between solar particles and Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, creating beautiful visual displays.

NASA emphasized that more solar flares are likely in the coming days. The UK’s Met Office also reported elevated solar activity, noting the presence of at least five sunspot regions currently visible from Earth. A particularly active magnetic region is emerging over the sun’s southeastern horizon, increasing the chances of additional moderate-class flares.

Although most activity remains at moderate levels for now, the growing number of sunspots suggests that stronger solar events are possible. This heightened solar activity is a reminder of how space weather , such as the ongoing NASA solar storm, can impact Earth, particularly as societies become more reliant on advanced technology and global communication networks.

Potential for Geomagnetic Storms and Historical Parallels

The solar storm risk includes the potential for geomagnetic storms, which occur when charged solar particles disturb Earth’s magnetic field. These can disrupt satellite operations, aviation systems, and even ground-based power grids. A historic example occurred in 1989 when a geomagnetic storm caused a nine-hour blackout across Quebec, Canada.

There is also speculation that the May 14 flare may have included a coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive release of solar plasma and magnetic fields that can intensify geomagnetic storms. However, scientists have yet to confirm this. Fortunately, the sun’s active region AR4087, responsible for the flare, is still near the sun’s edge and not fully facing Earth, offering a temporary reprieve from the worst-case scenario.

As the sun continues through its peak activity cycle, experts warn that monitoring NASA solar storm developments will be essential to safeguard modern infrastructure from future disrupt.

[lifesciencesmagazine]

Powerful Solar Storm Triggers Global Radio Blackouts and Signals Rising Solar Activity

Source: earth.com

A series of massive solar flares erupted from the sun this week in what scientists are calling a major Solar Storm, with one particularly powerful blast early Wednesday causing widespread shortwave radio blackouts across at least five continents. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the flare peaked at around 4:25 a.m. ET and was classified as an X2.7 — making it the strongest solar flare recorded so far in 2025.

The twin eruptions on Wednesday came just a day after NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a dramatic image of another X-class flare. These events are part of a noticeable uptick in solar activity as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center described the flares as significant, noting that outbursts of this magnitude are relatively rare.

Solar flares are ranked in escalating intensity from A to X-class, with X being the most powerful. Each class increases in energy by a factor of 10, with further numerical values added to indicate strength within each class. In addition to the X2.7 flare, an M5.3-class flare occurred earlier on Wednesday, and an X1.2 flare was recorded late Tuesday morning.

Communications Disrupted Across Multiple Regions

The effects of the flares were felt globally. According to Spaceweather.com, run by astronomer Tony Phillips, radio blackouts were observed in North and South America, southeast Asia, Africa, and parts of the Middle East. High-frequency radio communications, often used for aviation and maritime navigation, experienced brief but significant outages.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecaster Shawn Dahl confirmed that the X2.7 flare caused a roughly 10-minute blackout of high-frequency signals over the Middle East during its peak. He noted that aside from this disruption, there were no major impacts to infrastructure. However, solar flares of this strength can pose risks to astronauts, GPS systems, and satellites orbiting Earth.

While the X2.7 flare was the strongest of 2025 to date, it still fell short of the current solar cycle’s record. That distinction belongs to an X9.0-class flare that erupted in October 2024. Scientists emphasize that as solar activity intensifies, the likelihood of such disruptive events increases.

Solar Storm Maximum Brings Risks—and Stunning Auroras

These latest flares are seen as part of the sun’s transition into what is known as the “solar maximum,” the most active period in its natural 11-year cycle. This phase is expected to persist through 2025, potentially bringing more solar storm that could affect communications, power grids, and satellite operations.

Despite the challenges posed by solar storm, they also produce spectacular visual phenomena on Earth. The charged particles released during these events interact with Earth’s magnetic field, creating intensified auroras, or northern lights, that can be seen at lower latitudes than usual.

Experts continue to monitor solar activity closely, warning that as we move deeper into the solar maximum, more flares and geomagnetic storms are likely. While the recent flare was significant, it serves as a reminder of the sun’s immense and unpredictable power.

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