The National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center issued a red warning for geomagnetic storms at 09:00 on the 11th: geomagnetic storms will occur from 23:00 on May 10, 2024, Beijing time, and the maximum level will reach the level of ultra-geomagnetic storms (Kp=9), and it is expected that the magnetic storm process will continue in the next 24 hours, and geomagnetic storms may still occur in the future.
Under the influence of geomagnetic storms, the ionosphere will be disturbed in most parts of the continent, and shortwave communication and navigation and positioning will be affected to varying degrees. A significant increase in the density of the upper atmosphere will lead to an increase in the orbital attenuation of low-orbit satellites. The National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center will closely track the development of the event and release forecast and early warning information in a timely manner.
In the early morning of May 11, 2024, a brilliant magenta aurora appeared over the city of Xilinhot in Inner Mongolia. Visual China Diagram
Auroras appear in many places
In the early morning of May 11, Altay, Xinjiang. Photographer Jeff's journey to the stars captured the aurora activity, the entire northern sky was red, and the various aurora columns were clearly visible to the naked eye. In addition to red, the rare green aurora and purple aurora also appeared. Photographer Jeff said: "The scene was really fantastic! ”
on social media
Netizens around the world are sharing the aurora they saw
It is understood
There may also be aurora tonight and tomorrow night
Friends in high latitudes can squat
Since May, with the emergence of large sunspots on the sun's surface, the sun has continued to erupt violently, with 10 X-class flares and more than 60 M-class flares erupting in just one week, and the intensity and frequency of outbreaks are rare in history.
Released by the U.S. Agency
The highest level of geomagnetic storm warning
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States issued an extremely strong geomagnetic storm (G5 level) warning on the 10th, and the impact of geomagnetic storms caused by solar coronal mass ejections on the earth will last from the 10th to the 12th.
This is the first time since October 2003 that the agency has issued a G5 geomagnetic storm warning, the highest level.
During the coronal mass ejection, a large amount of solar material will be thrown away from the surface of the sun at high speed, which is not only the kinetic energy formed by the convergence of huge mass and velocity, but also carries the strong magnetic field energy of the sun.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that so far, at least seven solar coronal mass ejections have been observed in this geomagnetic storm, and the first batch of ejections has arrived on Earth at noon EST on the 10th. The geomagnetic storm is still ongoing, and the Authority's Space Weather Prediction Center will continue to monitor progress.
The Space Weather Prediction Centre classifies geomagnetic storms from weak to strong into five categories: G1 (weak), G2 (moderate), G3 (strong), G4 (severe) and G5 (very strong). Clinton Wallace, the agency's director, said: "This geomagnetic storm will be an unusual and potentially historic event. ”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, geomagnetic storms can affect low-Earth orbit and certain infrastructure on the Earth's surface, potentially disrupting communications, power grids, navigation, radio and satellite operations, and potentially triggering auroras.
On May 9, 2024 local time, images provided by NASA showed solar flares. Visual China Diagram
What is a geomagnetic storm?
A geomagnetic storm is a typical type of solar eruptive activity. When the Sun erupts, coronal mass ejections occur, and a single ejection can throw hundreds of millions of tons of solar material off the surface of the Sun at high speeds of hundreds to thousands of meters per second. These substances not only contain the kinetic energy of the massive mass and velocity, but also carry the powerful magnetic energy of the sun. Once they hit the Earth, they trigger a change in the direction and magnitude of the geomagnetic field, known as a geomagnetic storm.
Geomagnetic storms can be classified into the following levels:
Causing drowsiness or insomnia?
Geomagnetic storm is a global violent disturbance of the Earth's magnetic field, which is a typical solar eruptive activity. Geomagnetic storms are mainly caused by coronal mass ejections (CME) that occur during solar eruptions, which can throw hundreds of millions of tons of solar material carrying strong magnetic field energy away from the surface of the sun at a high speed of hundreds to thousands of meters per second.
Important culprits that can cause geomagnetic storms include "solar flares" and "exploding suns". In recent days, the National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center has repeatedly issued yellow warnings for solar flares through its official Weibo.
Some netizens said that the geomagnetic storm has brought more or less impact to their bodies. For example, some netizens said that they were sleepy and sleepy in the past two days.
According to experts from the China Association for Science and Technology, "flare" is a phenomenon of sudden brightening of the surface of stars, similar to sunspots and solar storms, which are manifestations of solar activity. Flares are graded B, C, M, and X from smallest to largest, with each stage being 10 times more energetic than the previous one. It can be seen that the energy of flares above level X is indeed not small. However, flares below M-class have little effect on Earth, and X-class flares have no effect on daily life.
The National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center also said that the impact of geomagnetic storms on organisms is mainly focused on those organisms that rely on geomagnetic navigation, such as carrier pigeons; The impact on the human body is negligible and will not affect the health of the body. The previous online rumors of "geomagnetic storms cause insomnia, sleepiness, panic, and irritability" are all rumors or jokes about geomagnetic storms, which are not scientific.
Geomagnetic storms on the Earth
What are the implications?
Geomagnetic storms have an impact on both human society and the natural environment. For example, it can cause power system disruption or equipment damage, causing additional radiation effects on spacecraft and posing a threat to the safety of astronauts.
At the same time, geomagnetic storms can also affect electromagnetic components in electronic products and communication equipment, which can lead to problems such as communication interruptions and navigation failures. In addition, geomagnetic storms can also have an impact on the operation of satellites and space stations, as they require a stable Earth's magnetic field environment to function properly.
In terms of climate and ecosystems, geomagnetic storms cause changes in the Earth's magnetic field, which in turn affects climate patterns in the atmosphere. For example, it may trigger the appearance of auroras, a drop in temperature at high latitudes, changes in atmospheric circulation, etc. These climate changes may have an impact on ecosystems, such as bird migration, plant growth, etc., and even on marine ecosystems, such as triggering changes in seafloor currents, affecting the reproduction and growth of marine organisms.
How can we respond?
Since geomagnetic storms have certain impacts on the earth's space environment, communications, natural ecology and human body, we need to know and pay attention to the following aspects during geomagnetic storms:
The first thing to do is to minimize outdoor activities, especially avoid traveling in bad weather. Geomagnetic storms can trigger a series of electromagnetic phenomena that can have a certain impact on human health, so it is relatively safe to stay indoors.
Second, turn off unnecessary electronic devices, especially high-power appliances, to avoid damage to the equipment or start a fire. Geomagnetic storms can cause interference or damage to power systems and communications equipment, so reducing the use of these devices can reduce the potential risk.
Third, special protective measures are required for important equipment and infrastructure, such as power systems, communication systems, etc. This includes regularly checking the operational status of the device, ensuring the proper functioning of the device, and backing up important data in case of data loss. 、
In addition, geomagnetic storms can interfere with navigation systems, resulting in inaccurate positioning or signal disruption. Therefore, when driving or doing other activities that require navigation, you should minimize your reliance on navigation systems such as GPS, and have maps on hand as an alternative.
Finally, it is also very important to be in good physical condition. During a geomagnetic storm, we can take some measures to mitigate the effects of electromagnetic radiation on the body, such as wearing protective equipment such as radiation glasses and radiation protection phone cases, reducing the use of electronic devices for long periods of time, keeping a distance as much as possible, and reducing exposure.
Source: The Paper WeChat public account
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