On July 15, 2000, an sudden photo voltaic storm hit Earth. The storm was triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that was launched after an X5.7-class photo voltaic flare erupted on the Solar. The terrifying phenomenon was noticed by NASA’s Photo voltaic and Heliospheric Observatory, which was launched simply 5 years in the past. But it surely wasn’t the one NASA spacecraft to witness the photo voltaic storm. The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which was stationed on the fringe of the photo voltaic system, additionally skilled the shock waves generated by the flare. Immediately, the occasion is named the Bastille Day Photo voltaic Storm, and because it completes its 23rd anniversary, let’s be taught extra about it.
Accordingly report By way of SpaceWeather.com, “Its affect on July 15, 2000, gave an excessive velocity (Kp=9) Geomagnetic storm. By the point the storm subsided on July 16, 2000, auroras have been reported as far south as Texas, Florida, and Mexico”. The report additionally revealed that the explosive explosion launched about 10 to 33 ergs of vitality, or “a few thousand billion WWII atomic bombs.”
The photo voltaic storm is known as Bastille Day as a result of it coincides with the day town of Bastille fell in 1789. At the present time is often known as Nationwide Day. France.
As robust magnetic waves surrounded the earth, the onset of photo voltaic storms led to aurora shows even at decrease latitudes, highlighting its energy. It additionally broken a number of satellites and triggered radio blackouts and communications blockades. As cellphones have been nonetheless gaining recognition in 2000, the affect on cellular networks and Web companies was unclear.
Immediately, this photo voltaic storm occasion, together with different terrifying occasions such because the Carrington occasion, are reminders that photo voltaic storms can turn into terrifying in a short time, and their damaging results shouldn’t be taken evenly.
The tech that allows NASA SOHO
NASA’s SOHO (Photo voltaic and Heliospheric Observatory) is a satellite tv for pc that was launched on December 2, 1995. It’s a joint challenge between NASA and the European House Company (ESA) to review the Solar, its ambiance and its results on the Photo voltaic System. . Outfitted with 12 scientific devices akin to Excessive Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), LASCO (Giant Angle and Spectrometric Chorograph) and others, SOHO captures photos of the Solar’s corona, measuring velocities and magnetic fields. From the floor of the Solar, and observes the corona orbiting the Solar.
