solar eruption

Nasa's Artemis II mission successfully launched four astronauts into orbit, marking humanity's return to deep space after 54 years. The Orion spacecraft is now en route to the Moon, with the crew conducting vital system checks before their four-day journey. This mission is a crucial step towards establishing a long-term lunar presence and future deep space exploration.

A powerful solar eruption lit up the Sun’s northern hemisphere late on May 12 (early May 13 IST), sending a massive wave of solar material into space. Due to its sheer scale, the eruption, which stretched nearly 600,000 miles (10 lakh kilometres), caught global attention. As the Sun nears the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, such events are expected to happen more often.

India's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has detected a massive solar eruption's impact on the Moon's tenuous atmosphere for the first time. The CHACE-2 instrument observed a significant increase in lunar exosphere pressure and density when a coronal mass ejection struck, confirming theoretical models of solar activity's influence on airless bodies.

The Sun is capable of producing monstrous eruptions or ‘superflares’ that can not only break down radio communication and power supplies, but also affect Earth’s ability to support life, scientists say.

A powerful solar eruption from sunspot AR4274 triggered a massive X5.1-class solar flare, causing a Ground Level Event (GLE) with energetic protons reaching Earth's atmosphere and ground. This intense space weather produced stunning auroras visible in lower US latitudes and impacted satellites, with potential disruptions to communications and GPS.

Indian Space Research Organisation's Aditya-L1 mission achieved a milestone. It captured a significant solar flare and plasma ejection. The event occurred on December 31, 2023. The mission observed the eruption in near-ultraviolet light. The plasma reached speeds of up to 1,500 kilometers per second. This data is crucial for understanding space weather. It will help predict potential impacts on Earth.

Nasa astronaut Matthew Dominick recently shared a captivating timelapse video from the International Space Station showing the moon setting amidst vibrant auroras. The video, captured with a new lens, highlighted the impact of recent solar eruptions. These geomagnetic storms have intensified, producing remarkable aurora displays. Dominick's footage has attracted significant attention, showcasing stunning visuals observed from 420 kilometers above Earth.

NASA, in collaboration with IBM, has unveiled 'Surya,' a groundbreaking AI model designed to revolutionize space weather forecasting. Trained on nine years of Solar Dynamics Observatory data, Surya accurately predicts solar flares and eruptions, crucial for safeguarding satellites, communication systems, and power grids. Early results show a 16% accuracy boost and two-hour advance visual forecasts.

A rare "super-sympathetic" solar flare event, featuring four simultaneous eruptions, captivates astronomers. These bursts, spanning a third of the solar surface, hint at possible impacts on Earth, including solar storms. If Earth-directed, these storms could disrupt power grids and communication networks, while also offering the spectacle of auroras at unusual latitudes. This event, following a series of earlier flares in 2024, underscores the Sun's dynamic nature and the importance of space weather monitoring.

WASHINGTON: The massive solar storms that pummelled the Earth last fall have continued almost to the edge of the solar system, causing disruptions on other planets and other surprising effects.