Earth Is Being Bombarded By G5 Geomagnetic Storm

A geomagnetic storm that's now hurtling into the Earth has been classified as "extreme," or a G5 storm, the highest level, the Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday evening. It's the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003.

Radiation from this activity began to hit the earth’s magnetic field on Friday and will last through the weekend, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). On Friday evening, NOAA upgraded the storm to G5 or “extreme,” marking the first such event since October 2003.

The solar activity NOAA’s talking about involves the release of energy from the sun that travels through space and eventually reaches Earth.

When that radiation hits the magnetic sphere surrounding the planet, it causes fluctuations in the ionosphere, a layer of the upper atmosphere.

Those changes can directly affect satellites and other spacecraft in orbit, altering their orientation or potentially knocking out their electronics.

Moreover, the changes to the ionosphere can block or degrade radio transmissions trying to pass through the atmosphere to reach satellites. And they can also prevent radio transmissions from successfully bouncing off the ionosphere — which some radio operators normally do to increase the range of their signals.

What is a Geomagnetic Storm? A geomagnetic storm is a disturbance in Earth’s magnetosphere caused by solar wind and solar radiation. These storms can result in fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field and can have various effects on our planet.

Solar Wind and Earth’s Magnetosphere: Solar wind consists of charged particles (mostly electrons and protons) emitted by the Sun. When these particles reach Earth, they interact with our planet’s magnetic field (the magnetosphere). The magnetosphere acts as a protective shield, deflecting most of the solar wind away from Earth.

Causes of Geomagnetic Storms: Geomagnetic storms occur when there are significant disturbances in the solar wind. These disturbances can be caused by:

Solar Flares: Intense bursts of energy and radiation from the Sun’s surface.

Geomagnetic Storm Categories: Geomagnetic storms are categorized based on their intensity using the Kp index:

• G1 (Minor): Minimal impact on Earth’s systems.
• G2 (Moderate): Slight power grid fluctuations, minor satellite anomalies.
• G3 (Strong): Widespread voltage control problems, potential auroras at lower latitudes.
• G4 (Severe): Voltage instability, satellite communication disruptions, significant auroras.
• G5 (Extreme): Severe power grid disturbances, widespread satellite communication issues, intense auroras.