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Last Post 10/23/2008 1:02 AM by Emilia Kilpua

solar storm

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10/22/2008 3:49 PM
Greg B (Fx) 5th grade How big can a solar storm be, could it effect us on earth, or do damage to things, thanks

Emilia Kilpua

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10/23/2008 1:02 AM
Hi Greg, Solar storms can affect the Earth in many ways. Every now and then big eruptions like flares and coronal mass ejection occur. These eruptions accelerate particles to high energies that can damage satellites and danger the health of the astronauts that are working in space. Luckily Earth’s magnetosphere shields us from this radiation. Coronal mass ejections (CME) reach the orbit of the Earth in few days after they have left the Sun. CMEs interact directly with the Earth’s magnetic field causing strong magnetic disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere called a magnetic storms. Magnetic storms can be harmful in many ways, e.g. the increased radiation in the Earth’s radiation belts can damage satellites and rapid disturbances in the ionosphere can cause problems for communication systems. During magnetic storms strong currents are also induced in transmission lines that may eventually destroy transformers. Beautiful consequences of magnetic storms are auroras. Solar storms can be very fierce! A CME can hurl 10^13 kg of solar material into the interplanetary space with speeds up to 2000 km/s.