The storm is expected to cause radiation damage to orbiting satellites and the International Space Station (Image: Getty).

The Sun recently saw active activity on its surface in a solar storm that hit Earth this weekend.

A small geomagnetic storm was caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that passed through the solar system on July 21.

This “direct hit” of solar radiation caused a solar storm around the earth.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), due to the cycle of solar activity, these types of solar events are expected to become more frequent in the coming months.

“The sun’s 11-year activity cycle is increasing, which means phenomena like CMEs and solar flares are increasing in frequency,” NOAA said.

“Depending on the size and orbit of solar flares, potential effects on near-Earth objects and Earth’s magnetosphere can cause geomagnetic storms, disrupting power, communications and navigation systems.

The storm is expected to cause radiation damage to orbiting satellites and the International Space Station.

NOAA’s GOES-18 satellite, launched by NASA in March of this year, is monitoring such an explosion. Weather observation satellites include sun-observing equipment such as X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) cameras that can monitor extreme temperatures in the solar corona and detect events such as CMEs and solar flares.

Although this type of solar activity is unlikely to affect our daily lives, it can still affect satellites and make the aurora more visible around the world than usual.

NOAA recently shared the first image from the GOES-18 Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI). It showed the Sun in several EUV channels during a similar coronal mass ejection on July 10.

explode in the sun

The Sun recently saw active activity on its surface in a solar storm that hit Earth this weekend (Image: NOAA).

GOES-18 is currently undergoing post-launch testing, including equipment checks, before it becomes fully operational. The satellite is expected to be ready for its operational role in early 2023.


What is a solar storm?

Solar storms occur when the sun emits huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. This phenomenon sends a flow of charge and magnetic field to Earth at a speed of about 3 million miles per hour.

A solar storm starts with a big explosion called a solar flare. These explosions can be as powerful as billions of nuclear bombs.

When a solar storm hits Earth, it often creates a bright “aurora” in part of the atmosphere near the Arctic Circle. Solar storms can also disrupt satellites and various forms of electronic communications.