Solar tantrums of epic proportions

In a world increasingly dependent on the invisible threads of power, internet, and satellite connections, preparedness against geomagnetic storms wouldn't hurt

In the annals of astronomical history, September 1, 1859, stands out. On this day, Richard Carrington observed two intense light patches erupting from sunspots in his London observatory. Though fireballs disappeared within minutes, their effects were felt globally within hours: Telegraph systems worldwide failed, with sparks flying from machines. Night skies glowed with vibrant auroras, tricking birds into singing and workers into starting their day. Some feared it was the end of the world.

But Carrington identified the cause: A massive solar flare, equivalent to 10 billion atomic bombs. This flare — hurling electrified gas and particles at Earth — caused the largest recorded geomagnetic storm or coronal mass ejection (CME) , known as the Carrington Event. This incident was just a few months before the solar maximum, a phenomenon that takes place every 11 years or so when the sun experiences a peak in activity because of its strong and constantly shifting magnetic fields — in other words, its magnetic poles reverse.

Fast forward to the present day, and we find ourselves on the cusp of another solar maximum and the telltale signs are all there as extreme geomagnetic storms, one of them on May 11  and believed to be the most powerful in 21 years, have painted Earth with auroras over the past week. The intense auroral activity was captured as far as Ladakh.

The giant solar explosions of energy and light, according to experts, aren’t over yet, with threats of disruptions in communication and power grid networks looming large.

Nasa’s Earth Observatory reveals that space weather is born from the sun’s magnetic distortions, creating sunspots. These dark patches are the cradle of solar flares, CMEs, and other electromagnetic events, posing risks to our tech-dependent society. Sunspot activity ebbs and flows over an 11-year period, with the next peak predicted latest by 2025.

Essentially, every 11 years, the sun’s once-steadfast magnetic field grows weak and fades away to nothing. Then it rises again — and in a cosmic pirouette, North becomes South and South becomes North. This flip occurs during the peak of each solar cycle and originates from a process called a “dynamo”, which generates the magnetic field. Dynamo involves the sun’s own spin and the relentless ebb and flow of fiery gas in its belly — the conveyor belt for stellar energy, and this can be blamed for solar storms because it causes magnetic entanglement.

A routine part of the sun’s cycle, solar storms are essentially a dance of magnetic entanglement and involve the magnetic field lines in its outermost atmospheric layer, the corona, intertwining and then abruptly snapping back to their original positions. This sudden reversion triggers the release of vast bursts of plasma, a form of superheated matter, and magnetic fields. These bursts or CMEs are essentially clouds of electrically charged protons and electrons.

Accompanying these CMEs are solar flares, electromagnetic radiation that zips away from the sun at light speed. On the other hand, CMEs, though fast, take their time, often requiring days to reach Earth.

A strong enough CME can squeeze our planet’s magnetic field like a stress ball, inducing a geomagnetic storm. This abrupt shift in the magnetic field can generate potent electrical currents within Earth, overpowering our electrical grids and potentially causing extensive disruptions, as evidenced by the Quebec blackout of 1989 when the area plunged into darkness for days on end following a severe CME.

Solar flares have their share of destructive potential, too. Their bursts of X-ray and gamma radiation can fry the delicate electronics onboard satellites. That’s why spacecraft engineers fortify onboard computers with robust radiation shielding to prevent these celestial tantrums from causing a meltdown.

Our distant past, too, whispers of the sun’s fury. Tree rings and ice cores tell the tale of a monstrous solar storm in 774 AD, so powerful it altered  Earth’s atmospheric chemistry (according to scientific american.com). And evidence suggests an even more epic event in 7176 BC, a solar superstorm of unparalleled intensity for the planet in the past 10 millennia.

This isn’t to say we need to worry about every solar flare or storm that occurs, but such a cosmic incident does serve as a reminder. In a world ever-reliant on the invisible threads of power, internet, and satellite connections, perhaps preparedness against geomagnetic storms wouldn’t hurt. After all, a blazing solar tantrum is all it may take to plunge us back into the darkages, literally.