Latest news with #CoronalMassEjections
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
IIA team decodes reason behind May 2024 solar eruptions
Bengaluru Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have decoded the reasons behind the series of powerful solar eruptions or Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that resulted in rare northern lights dancing across the Ladakh's night skies in May 2024. These findings offer a major step forward in the improvement of space weather forecasting models, particularly in predicting the impact of complex CME events on Earth's magnetosphere. CMEs are massive ejections of magnetised plasma from the Sun's corona. When such solar blasts are directed toward the Earth, they can cause geomagnetic storms capable of disrupting satellite operations, communication systems, and power grids. According to the Department of Science and Technology, the great geomagnetic storm that started on 10 May, 2024, was linked to a rare sequence of six different CMEs erupting in succession, and it was associated with both solar flares and filament eruptions from an interacting complex active region on the Sun. Until now, gaining a complete understanding of how CMEs evolve thermodynamically as they travel from the Sun to Earth has remained challenging, primarily due to limited observations near the Sun as well as in near-Earth space. To bridge this gap, a team of solar astrophysicists led by Wageesh Mishra, a faculty member at IIA, used observations from the NASA and ESA space missions. They built a model to investigate the manner in which the rare chain of six interacting solar blasts reported from IIA's Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle in Ladakh interacted with each other and evolved thermally en route from the Sun to Earth. 'The study is the first of its kind, both in India and internationally, to capture the continuous thermodynamic evolution of multiple interacting CMEs across such a vast distance in the heliosphere,' said Dr. Mishra. 'Our analysis demonstrates that CME-CME interactions lead to significant thermal restructuring within. By the time they reach the Earth, the electrons in the complex ejecta were found to be in the heat-releasing state, while ions displayed a mix of heating and cooling behaviour, with the heating state being the dominant mode overall,' said Soumyaranjan Khuntia, the lead author and a doctoral scholar at IIA.
India Today
6 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Auroras in Ladakh: Astronomers reveal how solar blast lit up Indian skies
In May 2024, the remote Himalayan skies over Ladakh were unexpectedly painted with a rare celestial display, northern lights, or auroras, typically only visible much closer to the over a year later, astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have unveiled the remarkable chain of events that triggered this rare spectacle: a record-breaking solar storm caused by six massive, interacting Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) erupting from the Sun in quick are enormous bubbles of magnetised plasma hurled from the Sun's outer atmosphere. When such solar eruptions are directed toward Earth, they can trigger intense geomagnetic storms, capable of disrupting satellites, communication systems, and even power grids. But the event of May 10, 2024, was unlike anything seen in the past two decades. 'This was a unique sequence of six interacting CMEs, associated with solar flares and filament eruptions, all originating from a hyperactive region on the Sun,' explained Dr. Wageesh Mishra, a faculty member at data from space-based observatories run by NASA and ESA, scientists at IIA's Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh, developed advanced models to trace both the path and thermal behavior of these solar storms as they travelled across the solar study, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides the first continuous thermal profile of multiple interacting solar author and doctoral scholar Soumyaranjan Khuntia explained, 'Initially, the CMEs released heat, but as they travelled further, they began to absorb and retain heat, settling into a nearly constant temperature state—a surprising and complex behaviour.' Closer to Earth, instruments like NASA's Wind spacecraft detected another anomaly: the final solar cloud carried twin magnetic structures, or 'double flux ropes,' resembling twisted braids of magnetic fields. These interacted in unusual ways, giving rise to the captivating auroras seen in Ladakh.'This work lays the foundation for a new frontier in space weather forecasting,' added Anjali Agarwal, a co-author of the study. With India's Aditya-L1 solar mission now operational, the team hopes to further refine their models using close-range solar data and observations closer to to Dr. Mishra, 'India is well on its way to becoming a powerhouse in heliophysics research, helping us prepare for and predict future space weather disturbances that can affect Earth's technology and daily life.'- EndsTrending Reel
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern Lights possible this week, Met Office says, thanks to solar storms
The Met Office says charge particles from two solar flares could crash into the Earth's atmosphere creating Northern lights displays for the next few days. Two recent Coronal Mass Ejections - when material from the Sun's surface is thrown into space, could collide with the Earth today, rushing towards the atmosphere thanks to high-speed solar winds. The Space Weather forecast reads: "There is the potential for two possible Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) arrivals, along with a possible connection to a high-speed solar wind stream later into July 3. These factors may lead to an expansion of the auroral oval, increasing the likelihood of aurora sightings across higher latitudes. "That said, significant displays remain unlikely due to the limited hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year." READ MORE: Government says stock up on nine emergency items as war risk increases READ MORE: My son's final words were 'dad did this and he did it on purpose' There are currently up to eleven sunspot regions on the visible surface of the Sun. Two region have shown some recent growth and could spark solar flares. No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were observed in the past 24hrs. The Met Office said solar activity is expected to increase to 'Unsettled to Active' with 'G1/Minor Storm (Kp5) intervals' on July 2 and 3 on Day 1 into Day 2 (02-03 Jul), and a Slight Chance of G2/Moderate Storm (Kp6). That means there is a possibility of seeing Northern Lights. Geomagnetic activity expected to lessen through the end of the week.
Wales Online
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Wales Online
Northern Lights possible this week, Met Office says, thanks to solar storms
Northern Lights possible this week, Met Office says, thanks to solar storms You will have to wait until it gets dark if you want to see the displays Northern Lights crown bursting with colour The Met Office says charge particles from two solar flares could crash into the Earth's atmosphere creating Northern lights displays for the next few days. Two recent Coronal Mass Ejections - when material from the Sun's surface is thrown into space, could collide with the Earth today, rushing towards the atmosphere thanks to high-speed solar winds. The Space Weather forecast reads: "There is the potential for two possible Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) arrivals, along with a possible connection to a high-speed solar wind stream later into July 3. These factors may lead to an expansion of the auroral oval, increasing the likelihood of aurora sightings across higher latitudes. "That said, significant displays remain unlikely due to the limited hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year." There are currently up to eleven sunspot regions on the visible surface of the Sun. Two region have shown some recent growth and could spark solar flares. No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were observed in the past 24hrs. The Met Office said solar activity is expected to increase to 'Unsettled to Active' with 'G1/Minor Storm (Kp5) intervals' on July 2 and 3 on Day 1 into Day 2 (02-03 Jul), and a Slight Chance of G2/Moderate Storm (Kp6). That means there is a possibility of seeing Northern Lights. Article continues below Geomagnetic activity expected to lessen through the end of the week.
Scottish Sun
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Four red alerts issued for Scotland as Northern Lights could be visible TONIGHT
Find out when the best time to see them is DAZZLING DISPLAY Four red alerts issued for Scotland as Northern Lights could be visible TONIGHT SCOTS could be in with the chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight after four red alerts were issued. The stunning natural phenomenon sees the skies light up with vibrant colours as solar particles react with the Earth's atmosphere. 1 Scots could be in with the chance of seeing the Northern Lights tonight Credit: Alamy The breathtaking celestial display is caused by a geomagnetic storm, where solar wind shockwaves hit the Earth. The lights appear when the sun ejects radiation known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CME). Today, Aurora Watch UK issued four 'red alerts' to indicate that geomagnetic activity is at unusually high levels. The alerts were issued between 9am and 11am and then again at 4pm and 6pm. Aurora Watch UK uses geomagnetic measurements from the SAMNET and AuroraWatchNet magnetometers to detect when aurora is likely to be visible in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Elizabeth J McGrath from Colby College said: "The sun has been very active recently, and we expect it to continue through 2025. "Normally we only see the aurora at locations close to Earth's magnetic north and south poles because charged particles from the sun get trapped by the Earth's magnetic field and funnelled to the poles. "With stronger solar storms during solar maximum, there are more charged particles from the sun, and when these particles interact with Earth's magnetic field, they can be distributed farther from Earth's north and south magnetic poles, reaching more southerly latitudes here on Earth." For those looking to catch a glimpse of the dazzling display in Scotland, the British Geological Survey (BGS) gives their top tips: "The aurora sits 100s of kms up in the sky above the height of the clouds so you'll need cloud-free skies. The sky also needs to be dark. Get away from streetlights. A bright full-moon will also wash out the light from faint aurora. "As the aurora usually sits north of the UK the further north you live in the UK the more chances you will have to see the lights. Those in the north of Scotland may see the aurora fairly often. While those who live in the south of England may see them rarely. Chasing the Northern Lights on Hurtigruten's MS Nordkapp "Try to have a clear view to the north. A coastal location or on top of a hill may be good options to try. During extremely strong displays the aurora might be overhead, or to the south of your location so have a good look around." And there's a prime time to catch the Northern Lights, the BGS says: "Generally, the best chances of seeing the aurora is generally around the hours of local midnight, 10pm - 2am. "However, the aurora may appear any time during the night depending on geomagnetic activity. There is also a seasonal effect with the strongest magnetic storms tending to happen around the spring and autumn equinoxes."
