On July 15, 2000, the Earth was hit by an surprising photo voltaic storm. The storm was sparked by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that was launched after an X5.7-class photo voltaic flare erupted on the Solar. The terrifying occasion was witnessed by the NASA Photo voltaic and Heliospheric Observatory, which was launched simply 5 years earlier. However that was not the one NASA spacecraft to witness the photo voltaic storm. The Voyager 1 spacecraft, which was positioned on the fringe of the photo voltaic system, additionally felt the shockwaves produced by the flare eruption. At this time, this occasion is called the Bastille Day photo voltaic storm, and because it completes its twenty third anniversary, tell us extra about it.
In line with a report by SpaceWeather.com, “Its impression on July 15, 2000, sparked an excessive (Kp=9) geomagnetic storm. By the point the storm subsided on July 16, 2000, auroras had been reported as far south as Texas, Florida and Mexico”. The report additionally revealed that the flare eruption launched about 10 to the ability of 33 ergs, or “about the identical as a thousand billion WWII atomic bombs”.
The photo voltaic storm has been named Bastille Day as a result of it coincides with the day when town of Bastille fell in 1789. The day is often known as the nationwide day of France.
Because the sturdy magnetic waves engulfed the Earth, the photo voltaic storm began off inflicting aurora show in even the decrease latitudes, highlighting its power. It additionally broken many satellites and brought on radio blackouts and communication blockades. As in 2000 cellphones had been nonetheless gaining recognition, the impact on cell networks and web companies is just not clear.
At this time, this photo voltaic storm occasion, together with different terrifying occasions such because the Carrington occasion, are reminders that photo voltaic storms can get very terrifying in a short time, and their damaging results are to not be taken frivolously.
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 venture between NASA and the European Area Company (ESA) to review the solar, its environment, and its results on the photo voltaic system. Geared up with 12 scientific devices, corresponding to an Excessive Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), LASCO (Giant Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph), and others, SOHO captures pictures of the solar’s corona, measures the rate and magnetic fields of the solar’s floor, and observes the faint corona across the solar.
