Radio blackout in the Indian Ocean, solar flare behind

SueRyan reportedly released a huge flame on Thursday. The sunspot AR2929 is said to have exploded and produced a powerful M5.5-class solar flare. This was recorded by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory Intense Ultraviolet Flash. According to SpaceWeather.com, during a flame, a pulse of X-rays envelops the Earth’s upper atmosphere. This is reported to have caused a shortwave radio blackout around the Indian Ocean. ‘Aviators, sailors and ham radio operators have seen extraordinary results at frequencies below 30 MHz,’ it says.

Solar flares usually occur in active areas. They are marked by the presence of strong magnetic fields in the sun. Usually the sunspot is associated with different groups. As these magnetic fields evolve, they can emit tremendous amounts of energy in various forms.

What is Solar Flare or Solar Flame?

This is an explosion that occurs when a large amount of energy stored in a magnetic field is suddenly released. This creates a rapid, rapid, and intense explosion on the surface of the sun. This solar flyer emits radiation across the length and breadth of the universe and adversely affects the planets in the Solar System. These radiations include radio waves, X-rays, and gamma rays.
The solar flare has three stages: the first stage, where it emits magnetic energy through a gentle X-ray emission. The second stage, called impulsive, involves the conversion of protons and electrons into energy equivalent to one million electron volts. The third stage is the gradual formation and decay of the X-rays.

Thursday’s blast was classified as a medium-sized M-class. They cause short-term radio blackouts that affect the Earth’s polar regions. Although it can cause minor radiation storms, there are no reports of these magnetic storms.

According to Spaceweather.com, a series of coronal mass ejections will enter the Earth’s magnetic field on January 22-23-24. Two of the CMEs were launched into space by M-class flyers from a sunspot AR2929, and a third left the Sun’s surface.

Although they do not land directly on the planet, all three can cause minor G1-class geomagnetic storms. A geomagnetic storm is a major change in the Earth’s magnetic field that occurs when very efficient energy is transferred from the solar wind into space around the Earth. The warning is that these will cause significant problems in the Indian Ocean. The aviation sector has been alerted about this.

Last Updated Jan 22, 2022, 8:29 PM IST