Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica.

The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications.

The sun,&nbsp;essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium,&nbsp;is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).

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When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms. This in turn can cause power outages and communication disturbances.

“We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and discovered traces of a massive solar storm that hit Earth during one of the sun's passive phases about 9,200 years ago”, says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University.

Solar flares are intense, short-lived releases of energy. They show up as bright areas on the sun, producing high levels of radiation and charged particles that can intensify solar winds,&nbsp;electrically charged particles continuously spewing outward from the sun.

The Earth’s magnetic field largely protects the planet from space weather. But massive solar flares can disrupt power grids, interfere with high-frequency airline and military communications, disrupt Global Positioning System signals and interrupt civilian communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks solar flares.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/water-flowed-on-mars-about-a-billion-years-longer-than-previous-estimates-nasa-448238" hreflang="en">Water flowed on Mars about a billion years longer than previous estimates: NASA</a>

The researchers scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be preserved in ice and sediment.

“This is time consuming and expensive analytical work. Therefore, we were pleasantly surprised when we found such a peak, indicating a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity”, says Raimund Muscheler.

The strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, US space weather experts said.

The storm, a big cloud of charged particles flung from the Sun at about 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour), was spawned by a pair of solar flares, scientists said.

“These enormous storms are currently not sufficiently included in risk assessments. It is of the utmost importance to analyse what these events could mean for today's technology and how we can protect ourselves”, concludes Raimund Muscheler.

(With inputs from agencies)

Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications.

Scientists have found evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within the Earth's ice through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The study, conducted by a research team led by Lund University in Sweden, has been published in Nature Communications. The sun, essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium, is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius). Also read | Scientists find hundreds of complex, mysterious strands at the heart of the Milky Way When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms. This in turn can cause power outages and communication disturbances. “We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and discovered traces of a massive solar storm that hit Earth during one of the sun's passive phases about 9,200 years ago”, says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University. Solar flares are intense, short-lived releases of energy. They show up as bright areas on the sun, producing high levels of radiation and charged particles that can intensify solar winds, electrically charged particles continuously spewing outward from the sun. The Earth’s magnetic field largely protects the planet from space weather. But massive solar flares can disrupt power grids, interfere with high-frequency airline and military communications, disrupt Global Positioning System signals and interrupt civilian communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which tracks solar flares. Also read | Water flowed on Mars about a billion years longer than previous estimates: NASA The researchers scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be preserved in ice and sediment. “This is time consuming and expensive analytical work. Therefore, we were pleasantly surprised when we found such a peak, indicating a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity”, says Raimund Muscheler. The strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, US space weather experts said. The storm, a big cloud of charged particles flung from the Sun at about 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour), was spawned by a pair of solar flares, scientists said. “These enormous storms are currently not sufficiently included in risk assessments. It is of the utmost importance to analyse what these events could mean for today's technology and how we can protect ourselves”, concludes Raimund Muscheler. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists find evidence of an extreme solar 'tsunami' deep within Earth's ice

An image of the Sun emitting a mid-level solar flare has been taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It had peaked at 1.01 am EST (11.31am IST). The powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation, which are called solar flares, could last from minutes to hours. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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The NASA, which has classified this flare as an M5.5 class one, has said that it has an X-ray flare of moderate severity.&nbsp;

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The Sun emitted a significant solar flare early this morning, peaking at 1:01 a.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as M5.5.<a href="https://t.co/9RsMR5suI3">https://t.co/9RsMR5suI3</a> <a href="https://t.co/zK9mADK47H">pic.twitter.com/zK9mADK47H</a>
— NASA Sun &amp; Space (@NASASun) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASASun/status/1484265821950156804?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“The Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on January 20, 2022, peaking at 1:01 am EST," the US space agency said. &nbsp;

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Although the harmful radiation of a flare can't pass through Earth's atmosphere to affect life on the planet, it can impact electric power grids, navigation signals, radio communications, when it is highly intense. It also poses risk to spacecraft and astronauts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On website, Space Weather Prediction Center of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said, “Solar flares usually take place in active regions, which are areas on the Sun marked by the presence of strong magnetic fields; typically associated with sunspot groups. As these magnetic fields evolve, they can reach a point of instability and release energy in a variety of forms. These include electromagnetic radiation, which are observed as solar flares.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

An image of the Sun emitting a mid-level solar flare has been taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday. It had peaked at 1.01 am EST (11.31am IST).

An image of the Sun emitting a mid-level solar flare has been taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday. It had peaked at 1.01 am EST (11.31am IST). The powerful bursts of electromagnetic radiation, which are called solar flares, could last from minutes to hours. Also Read: Plan to ‘dim sun rays’ gets thumbs down from experts. Here is why The NASA, which has classified this flare as an M5.5 class one, has said that it has an X-ray flare of moderate severity. The Sun emitted a significant solar flare early this morning, peaking at 1:01 a.m. ET. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an image of the event, which was classified as M5.5.https://t.co/9RsMR5suI3 pic.twitter.com/zK9mADK47H — NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) January 20, 2022 × “The Sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on January 20, 2022, peaking at 1:01 am EST," the US space agency said. Also Read: Planet-killer asteroid passes near Earth. Track it live here Although the harmful radiation of a flare can't pass through Earth's atmosphere to affect life on the planet, it can impact electric power grids, navigation signals, radio communications, when it is highly intense. It also poses risk to spacecraft and astronauts. On website, Space Weather Prediction Center of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said, “Solar flares usually take place in active regions, which are areas on the Sun marked by the presence of strong magnetic fields; typically associated with sunspot groups. As these magnetic fields evolve, they can reach a point of instability and release energy in a variety of forms. These include electromagnetic radiation, which are observed as solar flares.” (With inputs from agencies)

NASA catches glimpse of Sun emitting mid-level solar flare. Will it harm us?

The Sun threw a spell in our way, brighter than a shimmering ghost and quicker than the flick of a black cat's tail, just in time for Halloween.&nbsp;

According to NASA, a large solar flare emerged from the Sun on October 28, sparking a "strong geomagnetic storm watch."

In a video, a flare was identified as an X-1 flare, the most powerful classification.

On October 28, the Sun produced a large solar flare that peaked around 11:35am EDT.

The incident was recorded on film by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which keeps a continual eye on the Sun.&nbsp;

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"This imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory covers a busy few days of activity between Oct. 25-28 that ended with a significant solar flare. From late afternoon Oct. 25 through mid-morning October 26, an active region on the left limb of the Sun "flickered with a series of small flares and petal-like eruptions of solar material," wrote NASA Goddard. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/explosion-on-sun-equivalent-to-millions-of-hydrogen-bombs-causes-biggest-solar-flare-in-4-years-396003">Also read | Explosion on Sun equivalent to millions of hydrogen bombs causes biggest solar flare in 4 years</a> 
 
"Meanwhile, the Sun was sporting more active regions at its lower center, directly facing Earth. On Oct. 28, the biggest of these released a significant flare, which peaked at 11:35 a.m. EDT. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through the Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel," the caption for the video read.

The storm is being compared to the 1859 Carrington Event, when a geomagnetic storm disrupted telegraph operations for many days.&nbsp;

What are solar flares?

A solar flare is a rapid and intense explosion on the Sun’s surface which happens in the aftermath of massive amounts of energy which is stored in magnetic fields being released suddenly.

As the explosion happens, radiation is released into the universe, directly affecting the planets in our solar system. These radiations comprise of radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays.

NASA claims that the energy released by this explosion is equivalent to millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs going off at the same time. Even then, it constitutes just one-tenth of the Sun’s total energy.

A flare's harmful radiation cannot penetrate through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, but they can disrupt the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals flow if they are strong enough.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Sun threw a spell in our way, brighter than a shimmering ghost and quicker than the flick of a black cat's tail, just in time for Halloween. According to NASA, a large solar flare emerged from the Sun on October 28, sparking a "strong geomagnetic storm watch.

The Sun threw a spell in our way, brighter than a shimmering ghost and quicker than the flick of a black cat's tail, just in time for Halloween. According to NASA, a large solar flare emerged from the Sun on October 28, sparking a "strong geomagnetic storm watch." In a video, a flare was identified as an X-1 flare, the most powerful classification. On October 28, the Sun produced a large solar flare that peaked around 11:35am EDT. The incident was recorded on film by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which keeps a continual eye on the Sun. × "This imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory covers a busy few days of activity between Oct. 25-28 that ended with a significant solar flare. From late afternoon Oct. 25 through mid-morning October 26, an active region on the left limb of the Sun "flickered with a series of small flares and petal-like eruptions of solar material," wrote NASA Goddard. Also read | Explosion on Sun equivalent to millions of hydrogen bombs causes biggest solar flare in 4 years "Meanwhile, the Sun was sporting more active regions at its lower center, directly facing Earth. On Oct. 28, the biggest of these released a significant flare, which peaked at 11:35 a.m. EDT. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through the Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however — when intense enough — they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel," the caption for the video read. The storm is being compared to the 1859 Carrington Event, when a geomagnetic storm disrupted telegraph operations for many days. What are solar flares? A solar flare is a rapid and intense explosion on the Sun’s surface which happens in the aftermath of massive amounts of energy which is stored in magnetic fields being released suddenly. As the explosion happens, radiation is released into the universe, directly affecting the planets in our solar system. These radiations comprise of radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays. NASA claims that the energy released by this explosion is equivalent to millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs going off at the same time. Even then, it constitutes just one-tenth of the Sun’s total energy. A flare's harmful radiation cannot penetrate through Earth's atmosphere to harm humans on the ground, but they can disrupt the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals flow if they are strong enough. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Active October Sun emits a powerful X-class solar flare

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Normally seen in only Alaska, the lights will be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa&nbsp;and Oregon in the US this time. Scientists also expect the lights to become visible in the New England region, Montana and Washington. These lights could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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A solar flare, which erupted on Thursday, is expected to reach the Earth on Saturday. It has caused a large group of solar-charged particles to come towards the Earth, which makes the lights more visible in the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For the solar flare, the NOAA has issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch this weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The storm doesn’t seem to be harmful to&nbsp;humans, but the NOAA has listed possible interference with electronics, such as false alarms on protection devices,&nbsp;voltage irregularities&nbsp;and interruptions to navigation and radio signals as possible side-effects.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, the NOAA said in its storm watch that "impacts to our technology from G3 storms are usually nominal."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night.

In what can be called a rare sighting, some parts of northern United States are in for a treat this weekend as solar flare will make the northern lights visible to residents on Saturday night. Normally seen in only Alaska, the lights will be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon in the US this time. Scientists also expect the lights to become visible in the New England region, Montana and Washington. These lights could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday. Also Read | Homo bodoensis: It's official, we have a new ancestor A solar flare, which erupted on Thursday, is expected to reach the Earth on Saturday. It has caused a large group of solar-charged particles to come towards the Earth, which makes the lights more visible in the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. For the solar flare, the NOAA has issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch this weekend. Also Read | Why is mysterious dark energy leading to expansion of the universe? The storm doesn’t seem to be harmful to humans, but the NOAA has listed possible interference with electronics, such as false alarms on protection devices, voltage irregularities and interruptions to navigation and radio signals as possible side-effects. However, the NOAA said in its storm watch that "impacts to our technology from G3 storms are usually nominal." (With inputs from agencies)

During Halloween weekend, solar flare helps northern lights become visible to US

The centre of our planetary system and the source of all energy on Earth, our gigantic Sun recently made its celestial presence felt with what is being called the biggest solar flare in four years. The flare in question erupted from a sunspot called “AR2838” on July 3, the Space Weather Prediction Centre said.

The explosion in AR2838 unleashed the strongest solar flare in four years, which is officially categorised as an X1.5-class explosion&nbsp;and marks the beginning of Sun’s new solar cycle.

The sunspot was situated near the Sun’s northwestern limb and is expected to shift to the far side of the Sun over the next few weeks. If the sunspot can stand its ground (pun intended), it may be visible to Earthlings again in the end of July.&nbsp;

The solar flare’s effects were felt on Earth including a shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean. Solar flares are notorious for damaging equipment and disrupting electrical transmissions on Earth. And this flare was no different, for it produced a radio burst, a surge of electrical current, a deflection of local magnetic fields, and ionospheric disturbance.

Reports suggest that the flare led to the ionisation of the Earth’s atmosphere’s top-most layer, which in turn caused currents flowing in between 60-100 kilometres above Earth’s surface. As a result, the Earth’s polar magnetic field was altered.

What are solar flares?

A solar flare is a rapid and intense explosion on the Sun’s surface which happens in the aftermath of massive amounts of energy which is stored in magnetic fields being released suddenly.

As the explosion happens, radiation is released into the universe, directly affecting the planets in our solar system. These radiations comprise of radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays.

NASA claims that the energy released by this explosion is equivalent to millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs going off at the same time. Even then, it constitutes just one-tenth of the Sun’s total energy.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/orphan-cloud-bigger-than-milky-way-found-in-no-galaxys-land-by-scientists-395982" hreflang="en">'Orphan cloud' bigger than Milky Way found in 'no-galaxy's land' by scientists</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/sun-has-awoken-and-sent-solar-storms-earths-way-what-are-the-dangers-387312" hreflang="en">Sun has awoken and sent solar storms Earth's way. What are the dangers?</a>

The centre of our planetary system and the source of all energy on Earth, our gigantic Sun recently made its celestial presence felt with what is being called the biggest solar flare in four years.

The centre of our planetary system and the source of all energy on Earth, our gigantic Sun recently made its celestial presence felt with what is being called the biggest solar flare in four years. The flare in question erupted from a sunspot called “AR2838” on July 3, the Space Weather Prediction Centre said. The explosion in AR2838 unleashed the strongest solar flare in four years, which is officially categorised as an X1.5-class explosion and marks the beginning of Sun’s new solar cycle. The sunspot was situated near the Sun’s northwestern limb and is expected to shift to the far side of the Sun over the next few weeks. If the sunspot can stand its ground (pun intended), it may be visible to Earthlings again in the end of July. The solar flare’s effects were felt on Earth including a shortwave radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean. Solar flares are notorious for damaging equipment and disrupting electrical transmissions on Earth. And this flare was no different, for it produced a radio burst, a surge of electrical current, a deflection of local magnetic fields, and ionospheric disturbance. Reports suggest that the flare led to the ionisation of the Earth’s atmosphere’s top-most layer, which in turn caused currents flowing in between 60-100 kilometres above Earth’s surface. As a result, the Earth’s polar magnetic field was altered. What are solar flares? A solar flare is a rapid and intense explosion on the Sun’s surface which happens in the aftermath of massive amounts of energy which is stored in magnetic fields being released suddenly. As the explosion happens, radiation is released into the universe, directly affecting the planets in our solar system. These radiations comprise of radio waves, x-rays, and gamma rays. NASA claims that the energy released by this explosion is equivalent to millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs going off at the same time. Even then, it constitutes just one-tenth of the Sun’s total energy. Also read: 'Orphan cloud' bigger than Milky Way found in 'no-galaxy's land' by scientists Also read: Sun has awoken and sent solar storms Earth's way. What are the dangers?

Explosion on Sun equivalent to millions of hydrogen bombs causes biggest solar flare in 4 years

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