āØāļøšš...space weather, a fascinating yet often overlooked aspect of astronomy, significantly impacts Earth through various phenomena, from auroras to technological disruptions. Sunspot AR3590, one of the giant sunspots observed in the current solar cycle, grew to be about 15 times the size of Earth and produced several X-class flares, the most intense type of solar flare. Such intense solar activity raises concerns about the potential for coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that could cause geomagnetic storms, affecting satellite operations and power grids on Earth. ...kinda of expecting news channels to have a dedicated space weather announcer by now.
... the potential devastation of this solar event echoes the Carrington Event (1859), the most colossal geomagnetic storm on record. This storm set telegraph systems ablaze and painted the skies with breathtaking auroras as far south as the Caribbean.
...other cosmic events like star quakes on neutron stars might explain the mysterious fast radio bursts detected by astronomers. These intense bursts can release as much energy in a millisecond as the sun in three days.
Who got to see the Northern Lights? Iām making another attempt tonight, but we are swamped with light pollution. I will try the phone trick...
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#astrophotography #astrophysics #cosmos #galaxy #hubble #mars #outerspace #science #space #spaceexploration #spaceship #spacestation #star #stargazing