Solar storms: Stunning spectacle with severe earthly impacts

A geomagnetic storm results from coronal mass ejections from the Sun, which occur during solar flares. These storms lead to dramatic changes in the solar wind's physical parameters.

They lead to significant changes in currents, plasma, and the magnetic field surrounding our planet. When billions of tonnes of plasma are ejected into space, anomalies also occur in the magnetic field.

Magnetic storms mesmerize us with the beautiful phenomenon known as the aurora borealis and affect many aspects of our lives. Notably, they can disrupt the functioning of the Starlink system.

In a post published on the X platform, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Starlink was affected by solar matter reaching Earth. He described the storm as one of the "biggest" recorded in a long while. Musk also shared his relief that, despite the satellites being "under a lot of pressure," they managed to perform well.

Before the less pleasant effects of solar activity became apparent, the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences had issued warnings two months prior. The institution alerted on social media about potential disruptions to power networks and difficulties in tracking satellites orbiting Earth.

Scientists are still investigating the phenomenon. An unconfirmed hypothesis suggests that changes in the magnetic field could also influence our psyche and nervous system.

One of Earth's most severe geomagnetic storms occurred in September 1859, causing extensive disruptions to telegraph networks across Europe and North America. Sparks even ignited telegraph papers. The aurora borealis was seen worldwide, with newspapers reporting that in the Rocky Mountains, the glow was so bright that it woke up gold diggers at night, leading them to start preparing breakfast, mistaking the time for morning.