Extensive Solar Storm Impacts 6 Spacecraft From Different Locations, SEPs Reach Mars

Extensive Solar Storm Impacts 6 Spacecraft From Different Locations, SEPs Reach Mars
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/NOIRLab)

In 2021, a robust solar storm was so widespread that its impact was felt by six spacecraft in various locations. A new report from NASA detailed the incident.

Widespread Solar Storm in 2021

In a 2023 press statement, the European Space Agency (ESA) detailed how, for the first time, such energetic particles were simultaneously observed on the surfaces of the Earth, moon, and Mars following a solar outburst. Solar storms can destroy people, satellites, and spacecraft, which is why they sparked serious worries.

A recent NASA article provides an excellent illustration of the research being done to examine the effects of solar storms that originate from the Sun, the source of all light. On April 17, 2021, a solar outburst occurred. While these storms are not unusual, this incident was so extensive that six spacecraft in various positions felt the blast.

Spacecraft have observed solar energetic particles (SEPs), which are high-speed protons and electrons, not just between Earth and the Sun but even as far away as between Earth and Mars!

NASA claims that this was the first instance of something like it occurred. With data from numerous spacecraft, rather than just one that can offer a localized understanding, the experts now have a completely different view of solar storms.

"Space radiation can create a real danger to our exploration throughout the Solar System," Colin Wilson, ExoMars TGO project scientist, said in ESA's release. "Measurements of high-level radiation events by robotic missions is critical to prepare for long-duration crewed missions."

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Solar Storm Prediction and Strongest Incident Recorded

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of NOAA is our nation's official source of space weather forecasts. They forecast solar storms in a manner akin to how other National Weather Service offices forecast weather on Earth.

The Sun is the starting point for the space weather analysis, which covers the area between planets. About a million kilometers from Earth, the NOAA satellite Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) is situated between the planet and the Sun.

It monitors the solar wind to predict the strength and timing of geomagnetic storms on Earth. The solar storm of the highest recorded intensity occurred before the solar maximum of 1860. The Carrington Event took place in September of 1859.

Richard Carrington is an amateur astronomer from Redhill, a town near London in England. On September 1, 1859, he was sketching the sunspots when a flash of light blinded him. It took about five minutes to complete, and NASA spacecraft reported that Carrington referred to it as a "white light flare."

The day after Carrington witnessed the spectacular flare, Earth experienced an extraordinary geomagnetic storm, according to NASA Science. This storm caused telegraph systems to malfunction and allowed viewers to watch auroral displays in the tropics, commonly only observable at polar latitudes.

The telegraph operators said they received electric shocks when they handled the machinery. A spontaneous fire started in the telegraph paper, causing some disconnected equipment to come on.

Combining the two, Carrington concluded that this large-scale geomagnetic disruption was most likely caused by the solar flare he had just seen. According to NASA Spaceflight, it was the first time anyone had established a connection quite like this. The 1859 solar storm is called the Carrington Event in his honor.