An extreme magnetic storm has hit the Earth: there may be disruptions in communications, power supply and people's well-being
On Wednesday and Thursday, powerful flares were recorded on a section of the Sun 16 times the size of the Earth's diameter. The event resulted in at least seven coronal mass ejections, each of which can contain billions of tonnes of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's outer atmosphere.
Here's What We Know
On Friday, the first waves of electromagnetic energy reached Earth. On Saturday, the magnetic storm was labelled extreme (a scientific designation) and scored 8.67 out of a possible 9 points.
The geomagnetic storm has been assigned the highest G5 category. Scientists at NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) have confirmed that this is one of the strongest magnetic storms ever recorded.
This storm poses a threat to high-voltage power lines, satellites may be affected, and there may be disruptions in navigation and communication systems on Earth.
At the moment the intensity of the extreme magnetic storm has somewhat decreased, but it will rage on our planet all weekend, so many people may feel discomfort and deterioration of health, especially in the presence of chronic diseases.
The only positive effect of this phenomenon has been unusually beautiful bursts of northern lights, which are recorded in regions where they do not occur.
Northern Lights in the sky of Ukraine: