A stream of solar winds is approaching Earth, space experts have said. A small hole has opened on the surface of the Sun’s southern hemisphere, releasing a barrage of solar particles. Earth is directly in the crosshairs of the particles, with experts stating the stream of solar winds winds will arrive on February 2.
When the particles do hit Earth, they could cause an aurora in the Arctic circle, according to Space Weather.
The astronomy site said: “A stream of solar wind is approaching Earth. Estimated time of arrival: Feb. 2nd.
“Flowing from a southern hole in the Sun’s atmosphere, the stream could spark bright auroras around the Arctic Circle.”
Auroras are caused when the magnetosphere gets bombarded by solar wind which deflects the particles, causing stunning green and blue lights.
While this solar storm is not a cause for concern, some astronomers believe a major one could hit and in a world so reliant on technology, the consequences could be devastating.
As such, researchers have called for better infrastructure to monitor the Sun’s activity.
A recent study from the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Russia, said: “A major solar storm could shut down electricity, television broadcasts, the internet, and radio communications, leading to significant cascading effects in many areas of life.
“According to some experts, the damage from such an extreme event could cost up to several trillion dollars and the restoration of infrastructure and the economy could take up to 10 years.
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“Thus, understanding and forecasting the most hazardous extreme events is of prime importance for the protection of society and technology against the global hazards of space weather.”
The first author of the study, Dr Jenny Marcela Rodríguez Gómez, said: “Understanding the characteristics of extreme solar eruptions and extreme space weather events can help us better understand the dynamics and variability of the Sun as well as the physical mechanisms behind these events.”
Skoltech researcher Tatiana Podladchikova added: “Our modern technological society needs to take this seriously, study extreme space weather events, and also understand all the subtleties of the interactions between the Sun and the Earth.
“And whatever storms may rage, we wish everyone good weather in space.”
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For the most part, the Earth’s magnetic field protects humans from the barrage of radiation which comes from sunspots, but solar storms can affect satellite-based technology.
Solar winds can heat the Earth’s outer atmosphere, causing it to expand.
This can affect satellites in orbit, potentially leading to a lack of GPS navigation, mobile phone signal and satellite TV such as Sky.