Although separated by millions of kilometers from the Sun, Earth is not exempt from the vagaries of our star. In late June, a powerful solar flare caused a massive release of plasma across the entire solar system. This Wednesday, July 6, indicates discharges to the blue planet The Dispatch.

After traveling millions of kilometers, these discharges come into contact with the Earth and more precisely with the magnetic field surrounding our planet. When plasma particles are close enough, a physical interaction can cause magnetic storms, sometimes called magnetic storms or geomagnetic storms.

Auroras and power outages

This phenomenon can cause sudden and extreme energy fluctuations, which can affect the Earth’s atmosphere.

Therefore, it is necessary to expect some power grids and satellites to be down. However, there is an opportunity to observe the appearance of the aurora for small disturbances that provide a sublime view from part of the United States.

In 1921, still in the United States, a magnetic storm plunged more than 130 million homes into darkness due to massive power outages.

Calm before the storm?

But this magnetic storm is nothing compared to what awaits us in the coming weeks. As reported by the scientific media Trust my scienceLast June, a sunspot called AR3038 grew rapidly and raised fears of a major event.

When directed toward Earth, this spot on the Sun can lead to a solar flare, which can cause major disturbances such as asteroids crashing to Earth.