The Sun, our nearest star, is a tempestuous body capable of awe-inspiring displays of power. In May 2024, a highly active sunspot region, AR3664, unleashed a solar storm that decorated our skies with vibrant aurorae. But that was just the beginning of its fiery display.
A solar storm that lasts for ages
Over the weekend of May 10-12, 2024, Earth will be hit by the most intense solar storm in two decades.
This astronomical event generated a geomagnetic storm, causing strange lights to appear in the night sky at much lower latitudes than usual.
The culprit behind this dazzling display was the active sunspot region AR3664.
As it moved out of Earth's sight around May 14, it released an X8.79 class solar flare, the most powerful of its kind at the time, which caused a significant radio blackout on Earth.
This, however, was just the prelude to an even bigger solar firework.
Watching the fury of AR3664
Solar Orbiter is a spacecraft jointly operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). Located on the far side of the Sun, Solar Orbiter provides a unique vantage point for observing solar activity that remains hidden from Earth's view.
On May 20, the spacecraft's X-ray instrument, STIX, observed a stunning X12 class solar flare erupting from AR3664.
“This is the most powerful flare of the current solar cycle so far, and among the top ten flares since 1996,” said ESA Research Fellow Laura Hess.
X-class flares represent the most powerful category of solar flares. The larger the number after the “X”, the more intense the flare. In this case, the X12-class flare from AR3664 was a sign of an exceptional solar event.
360 degree solar observation
Most solar observatories focus on the side of the Sun that faces Earth. However, Solar Orbiter's unique trajectory allows it to observe the far side of the Sun for longer periods of time.
This, combined with data from other missions that observe the Sun from Earth's perspective, gives scientists an unprecedented 360-degree view of our star.
“Solar Orbiter's position, combined with other missions observing the Sun from Earth, gives us a 360-degree view of the Sun over long periods of time,” said Daniel Müller, ESA's Solar Orbiter project scientist.
“This will only happen three times in Solar Orbiter's future, so we are in a unique position to observe distant active regions that will then rotate into Earth's view.”
AR3664 Situation after solar flare
After the May 20 flare, Solar Orbiter's Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) recorded a surge in ions and electrons spinning at incredible speeds.
This solar eruption also caused memory errors in the computers of the BepiColombo and Mars Express missions, highlighting the far-reaching impacts of solar activity.
Solar Orbiter's Metis coronagraph captured a view of a coronal mass ejection (CME) emerging from the Sun, a giant bubble of plasma traveling at speeds of 3000 km/s.
This CME produced significant fluctuations in the magnetic field measured by spacecraft, and was also observed from Earth via the ESA/NASA SOHO mission.
Early Warning System for Earth
Extensive data collected by Solar Orbiter, Mars Express and BepiColombo showed that AR3664 remained highly active even after moving out of Earth's sight.
When the region came back into Earth's line of sight it served as a valuable warning.
On May 27, AR3664 produced another explosion, producing powerful radiation and particle bursts. Although it was not aimed directly at Earth, this event caused a strong radio blackout in North America.
“If this flare and coronal mass ejection had been directed toward Earth, it would certainly have caused another major geomagnetic storm,” said Daniel Müller.
Recently on June 11, Solar Orbiter observed another X-ray solar flare from AR3664 on the far side of the Sun.
The future of space weather forecasting
Understanding the behaviour of active regions like AR3664 throughout their lifetime is crucial to improving space weather forecasting.
ESA's Vigil mission, to be launched in the future, will continuously monitor the left side of the Sun, providing near real-time data on potentially dangerous solar activity before it becomes visible from Earth.
“Adding Vigil's data to our space weather services allows us to provide forecasts for some space weather impacts up to 4-5 days in advance and with greater detail than ever before,” said Giuseppe Mandoro, Vigil project manager at ESA.
“Such early warnings give astronauts time to take shelter, and operators of satellites, power grids, and telecommunications systems time to take protective measures.”
The dynamic nature of the Sun fascinates scientists and space enthusiasts alike. With missions like Solar Orbiter and the upcoming Vigil, we are continually advancing our understanding of space weather and its potential impacts on our technology-dependent world.
The Sun's story is not over yet, and we look forward to seeing the next chapter in this celestial saga.
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