Space weather or solar storms peak during solar maximum – a cycle that occurs approximately every 11 years – but serious events can also happen during solar minimum. Currently, we are experiencing a maximum, with solar activity at its highest level in 22 years.
These solar storms can produce stunning effects, notably during May 2024 when multi-coloured aurora were visible across southern England.
In 1859 the biggest solar storm ever to impact earth took place. The ‘Carrington Event’ – named after astronomer Richard Carrington who observed it – is thought to have produced power equivalent to 17 billion one megaton nuclear bombs exploding at once. It disrupted telecommunication systems, causing pylons to spark and giving telegraph operators electric shocks.
If a storm of such magnitude occurred today the recovery would take four to 10 years and it would cost trillions of dollars, according to the US National Research Council.
A solar storm would cause widespread disruption affecting:
There is also a risk of radiation exposure – those facing the greatest threat are individuals in high-altitude aviation and space where the magnetic and atmospheric protection offered by the earth is reduced. However, during the May 2024 storm higher radiation levels were detected at sea level.
Governments and meteorological agencies around the world monitor space weather via satellites, radiation monitors on aircraft and ground-level neutron monitors. These enable forecasting of solar events so that we have some warning of any disruption.
ukhsa.gov.uk/what-is-space-weather
science.nasa.gov/sun/solar-storms-and-flares
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