In recent research scientists found out that solar flares from sun can be a nuisance for people across the world. These solar flares can bring about long power cuts, bricking of electronic devices and an increased risk of cancer to airplane passengers.
A study of CMEs by scientists at the University of Reading has found they have different structures to what we previously thought.
Those who don’t know what CMEs are? A coronal mass ejection (or CME) is a giant cloud of solar plasma drenched with magnetic field lines that are blown away from the Sun during strong, long-duration solar flares and filament eruptions.
“Up until now, it has been assumed CMEs move like bubbles through space and respond to forces as single objects,” Professor Mathew Owens of the University of Reading explains. “We have found they are more like an expanding dust cloud or sneeze, made up of individual plasma parcels all doing their own thing.
How will these affect our lives?
Solar flares can temporarily alter Earth’s upper atmosphere and create disruptions and will be the reason of bricking a phone.
Larger fluctuations can blow out transformers in power grids and can disrupt satellites making large power cuts.
In an increasingly technological world space weather is a serious matter.
A direct hit of CMEs can lead to catastrophic situation as CMEs are capable of damaging satellites, destroying electronic devices and potentially exposing people at high altitudes – such as astronauts, aviation crew and passengers – to cancer-causing radiation.