Tag

Solar Storm

All articles tagged with #solar storm

space22 days ago•122 min saved

Solar storm linked to 1848 Exeter train delay rewrites space-weather history

Space-weather researchers revisited a famous 19th‑century disruption and conclude the Exeter train delay was caused by a strong solar storm in October 1848, not the 1841 date previously cited. By cross‑checking railway timetables, old newspapers, solar observations, and geomagnetic records, the team shows this event is among the first well‑documented cases of space weather disrupting infrastructure, illustrating how archival science can update our understanding of historical geomagnetic impacts.

via Space|

#1848 #exeter #solar-storm

science26 days ago•3 min saved

Space Weather Disrupts GPS, Puts Self-Driving Cars at Risk

A November 2025 solar storm triggered significant GPS errors—over 33 feet—in global navigation satellite systems, causing mid-latitude positioning disruptions that could affect self-driving cars and precision farming. Reported in Geophysical Research Letters and highlighted by Futurism and NASA, the event underscores the need for better space weather understanding and predictive modeling to safeguard GPS-dependent technologies.

via supercarblondie.com|

#autonomous-vehicles #gps #satellites

technology1 month ago•2 min saved

Solar Storm Triggers 33-Foot GPS Errors, Threatening Self-Driving Tech

A new study finds a November solar storm caused significant GNSS errors—over 33 feet—across the continental US due to auroral activity and upper-atmosphere density changes, degrading GPS signals and potentially disrupting precision farming and autonomous transport; a May 2024 storm previously cost farmers about $500 million, underscoring the need for better space-weather forecasting to mitigate disruptions to RF systems.

via Futurism|

#agriculture #autonomous-vehicles #gps

entertainment1 month ago•5 min saved

Black Mirror Season 8 in Production; Simpsons Parody Heads to Disney+

Entertainment digest reports Black Mirror season 8 is in production, a Simpsons: Yellow Mirror parody episode will stream on Disney+, and a wave of other updates including Solar Storm from Saw V’s David Hackl, Greta Gerwig’s expensive Narnia movie on Netflix, a February 24, 2027 release for the Cliffhanger reboot, and Bond 26 rumors, along with new trailers/images from various genre projects.

via Gizmodo|

#black-mirror #cliffhanger #entertainment

space1 month ago•8 min saved

Wearable vest could shield astronauts from solar storms in deep space

StemRad's AstroRad vest, a wearable radiation shield designed to protect bone marrow-rich tissues, was tested on NASA’s Artemis I mission around the Moon. Using dosimeters and simulations, the vest reduced a 1972-style solar-storm dose by about 60% and a harder 1989-style event by about 40%, performing comparably to the Orion storm shelter but without restricting movement. Weighing 26 kg (with optimizations bringing it to 16 kg), the vest uses hexagonal HDPE rods to stay flexible, but it offers little protection against galactic cosmic rays. Real-world validation would require a real solar storm; researchers aim to further reduce weight while preserving protection.

via arstechnica.com|

#artemis-i #astrorad-vest #radiation-shielding

space4 months ago•70 min saved

StormWall: a six-satellite plasma shield could blunt big solar storms

A Boston University team led by Brian Walsh proposes StormWall, a six-satellite fleet in geosynchronous orbit that would release mass-loading materials (e.g., barium, lithium, sodium, calcium) which ionize into a plasma cloud at the sun-facing edge of Earth’s magnetosphere. The artificial plasma would thicken the magnetopause, disrupting magnetic reconnection and potentially reducing a major geomagnetic storm’s intensity by more than 50%. The idea targets protecting satellites, communications, GPS, and electrical grids. It would be a one-and-done deployment (no replenishment) and would be costly, but private space activity could tip the economics in its favor. The concept was tested via simulations of the May 2024 “Mother’s Day” storm and details were published in Space Weather (June 2).

via Space|

#magnetosphere #solar-storm #space

science4 months ago•39 min saved

Skies Alight: Solar Storm Could Put Auroras Over Much of the U.S. Tonight

A major solar outburst is driving geomagnetic activity that could produce auroras across roughly half the United States tonight, depending on weather and light conditions, with the northern tier most likely to see the lights and southern areas possible if skies stay clear.

via Yahoo|

#aurora #geomagnetic-storm #northern-lights

technology5 months ago•3 min saved

Worst-Case Solar Storms Could Take Down GPS, Satellites, and Grids for Weeks

The UK STFC warns that extreme space weather, though rare, could cripple satellites and GPS, disrupt or destroy terrestrial power grids for up to two weeks, trigger cascading global outages, threaten crewed missions, and highlight the need for stronger protection as satellite networks expand.

via extremetech.com|

#gps #power-grid #satellites

science5 months ago•80 min saved

Extreme Space Weather Could Spark Panic, Unrest, and Misinformation

Space.com reports a UK STFC study on a Carrington-scale space weather event, warning that such an extreme solar storm could knock out satellites, GPS, and power grids while also triggering panic buying, public disorder, and the rapid spread of conspiracy theories among a population with limited space-weather literacy. The piece emphasizes the need to bolster infrastructure resilience and improve public understanding to mitigate social disruption when technology and behavior intersect during severe space weather, an event estimated to occur roughly once every 100–200 years.

via Space|

#misinformation #panic-buying #public-unrest

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Rare Solar Storm Could Trigger Global Tech Outages, Study Warns

A UK-led study warns that a rare but extreme solar storm could disrupt satellites and GPS, cripple communications, and overload power grids, potentially causing long outages and cascading infrastructure damage. While unlikely, the scenario underscores the need for preparedness as space weather remains a hidden risk to everyday technology.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#gps #power-grid #satellites

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Medieval Japanese Verse Pinpoints a Solar Storm, Now Validated by Modern Science

A 1204 CE Japanese poem describing “red lights in the northern sky” is linked to a powerful solar storm. By combining historical records with tree-ring carbon-14 dating (dendrochronology), researchers confirm a medieval solar event and a shorter 7–8 year solar cycle, also identifying sub-extreme solar proton events that could threaten today’s technology.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#aurora #dendrochronology #medieval-science

space5 months ago•81 min saved

Century-scale solar storm could cripple satellites, GPS and power grids, study warns

A UK STFC report outlines a worst-case space weather event about every 100–200 years that could disrupt satellites, GPS, radio signals and power grids; while unlikely, the potential impacts would be severe, though advances in solar monitoring and forecasting are improving preparedness.

via Space|

#gps #power-grid #satellites

space7 months ago•55 min saved

Martian solar storm sparks record electron surge observed by ESA orbiters

Two ESA Mars-orbiting missions, Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, observed a powerful solar superstorm that also struck Earth in May 2024 and hit Mars, flooding the planet’s upper atmosphere with electrons (about 45% at ~110 km and 278% at ~130 km) and causing radiation-induced glitches in the spacecraft. Using a radio occultation technique, scientists mapped the atmospheric response and noted that Mars—lacking a global magnetic field—reacts differently to space weather than Earth; the observations were unusually well-timed after a large solar flare, and the results were published in Nature Communications.

via Space|

#exomars-trace-gas-orbiter #mars #mars-express

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Solar Superstorm Expands Mars's Ionosphere, Revealing Space Weather on the Red Planet

A May 2024 solar superstorm from sunspot AR3664 produced an X2.9 flare and a coronal mass ejection that not only triggered a major Earth geomagnetic storm but also dramatically swelled Mars’s lower ionosphere—nearly threefold—as solar plasma and X‑rays flooded the planet’s upper atmosphere. ESA’s Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter used radio occultation to measure the changes, showing how solar activity injects energy and particles into Mars’s atmosphere and highlighting its ongoing atmospheric loss. The orbiters briefly glitching during the storm but ultimately recovering demonstrates the value of radiation‑hard spacecraft for space weather studies.

via Gizmodo|

#exomars #ionosphere #mars

science7 months ago•6 min saved

Valentine Night Lights: Aurora Visible Across 12 U.S. States

NOAA forecasts a bright aurora borealis display tonight across 12 U.S. states due to intensified solar activity, offering a rare Valentine’s Day sky show. The best viewing window is 10 p.m.–midnight local time, with the possibility of the lights lingering until dawn in northern areas; colors like green, red, and purple are expected, and New York and Michigan could see it despite being typically too far south. To maximize visibility, seek dark skies away from city lights, and check local weather for clear skies. The event is linked to the sun’s approaching solar cycle maximum.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#aurora-borealis #noaa #northern-lights