American scientists have issued a warning that a big solar storm is going to hit the Earth, and it may affect electronic communications. What will be its impact on India?
NDTV’s Science Editor Pallava Bagla travelled to high in the Ladakh where India observes the Sun, and spoke to Dr Annapurni Subramanian, Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, to get a grasp on the situation.
A solar storm is a sudden explosion of particles, energy, magnetic fields, and material blasted into the solar system by the Sun.
The incoming solar storm could disrupt telecommunications and satellites. Indian scientists are monitoring it, and experts at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said they have informed Indian satellite operators to take all precautions. The next few days are crucial for the Earth since the storm is heading towards the Blue Planet.
“The (solar) flare which occurred a few days ago is similar in terms of strength to the one which occurred in May,” Dr Subramanian said.
“So we would expect some kind of interference in the magnetosphere. But we would like to wait and see because it takes a few days to hit the Earth. We expect to do something tonight or tomorrow night to see if anything is happening,” she added.
“The predictions are that it can happen or it may not happen, we will have to wait and see,” Dr Subramanian said.
The strong solar storm in May produced aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere.
When directed towards the 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 the planet’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the worst of these storms.