One of the geomagnetic storms most intense in recent years could impact Argentina and other countries in the southern hemisphere this Saturday, January 31.
The phenomenon, confirmed by the NASA and the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)reached a level 4 on a scale of 5, making it the strongest since 2003when the «Halloween storm» caused blackouts and damage to electrical infrastructure in different countries in Europe and Africa.
According to the ANSA agency, The storm originated from a solar flare occurred on January 18 and was observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite.
“It was triggered by the arrival of a rapid coronal mass ejection associated with the X1.9 class flareone of the most powerful,» Mauro Messerotti, professor of Space Meteorology at the University of Trieste, explained to the Italian agency and said: «This long duration with high values is unusual.»
Part of that solar material moved directly toward Earth and impacted the magnetosphere, the magnetic shield that protects the planet from solar radiation, triggering this event.
According to specialists, the phenomenon has already begun to manifest and The peak of greatest intensity is expected to be recorded during this weekend.
As explained by the NASA on its official site, a geomagnetic storm It is a strong disturbance of the Earth’s magnetic field caused by the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetosphere.
In this case, at event was also joined by a solar radiation storm, which remains active. This phenomenon occurs when a solar flare accelerates enormous amounts of energetic particles, mainly protons, which travel at extremely high speeds.
Geomagnetic solar storm: how could it impact Argentina?
Yes ok no direct effects expected in specific countriesthe regions of the southern hemisphere, such as Argentina and areas near Antarctica, could experience geomagnetic disturbances with greater intensity.
According to the ANSA agency, the geomagnetic solar storm could cause disruptions to satellites, temporary interruptions in radio communications and in GPS navigation systems, as well as possible problems in the electrical infrastructure, although so far no impacts of that level have been recorded.
Furthermore, these phenomena can generate unusual auroras and temporarily affect communications and aeronautical operations.
Las Radiation storms are not dangerous to people on Earth, thanks to the protection provided by the magnetic field and the atmosphere, but They can pose a problem for astronautsespecially during activities outside the International Space Station.
