An unusually powerful solar storm hit Earth on the night of May 10, causing celestial light displays from Australia to Britain. The solar storm poses a threat of potential disruptions to Earth’s communications networks, satellites, and power grids as it continues into the weekend.
- The solar storm was caused by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun.
- It was upgraded to an ‘extreme’ geomagnetic storm, the first since the ‘Halloween Storms’ of October 2003.
- More Coronal Mass Ejections are expected to impact the planet in the upcoming days.
- Social media was filled with images of auroras from northern Europe to Australia, New Zealand, and neighboring islands in the Pacific Ocean.
- The solar flares originated from a large cluster of sunspots, 17 times wider than Earth.
- The Sun is nearing the peak of an 11-year cycle, resulting in increased solar activity.
- Fluctuating magnetic fields during geomagnetic storms can create currents in long wires, potentially causing power outages and issues in engineering.
- Spacecraft are vulnerable to high levels of radiation during solar storms, but Earth’s atmosphere shields the planet.
- Pigeons and other species with internal biological compasses may be impacted by geomagnetic storms.
- The Carrington Event, the most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, occurred in September 1859.
Q: What caused the powerful solar storm that hit Earth on May 10, 2024?
a) Solar flares
b) Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
c) Lunar eclipse
d) Solar eclipse
Ans : b) Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
Q:What is the approximate frequency of the solar activity cycle mentioned in the passage?
a) 7 years
b) 11 years
c) 50 years
d) 100 years
Ans : b) 11 years
