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The Sun welcomed the new year by releasing two filaments of magnetism from its southern hemisphere. The eruptions occurred on January 2, causing an explosion of energy that could hit Earth. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory filmed solar particles projected into deep space.
A brief explosion can be seen around the video’s six second mark, followed by another at 11 seconds.
Experts said the flares were caused by a buildup of magnetic filament deep within the Sun’s core.
When the filaments accumulated enough, they released a coronal mass ejection (CME) into the solar system.
According to astronomy website Space Weather, the particles are flying through the solar system and could strike Earth in the coming days.
The website said: “On January 2, 2021, two dark filaments of magnetism erupted in the southern hemisphere of the sun.
“This NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory film captures them both.
“The double eruption threw a pair of closely spaced CMEs towards Earth. The first CME was moving slowly, the second was faster.
“This could cause the two CMEs to stack on top of each other, intensifying their impact. NOAA forecast models suggest an arrival on Earth on January 6.”
READ MORE: Space observatory captures extraordinary image of sunspots
Solar winds can heat the Earth’s outer atmosphere, causing it to expand.
This can affect satellites in orbit, potentially leading to a lack of GPS navigation, mobile phone signal and satellite TV like Sky.
Additionally, a particle surge can cause high currents in the magnetosphere, which can result in higher than normal electricity in power lines, causing electrical transformers and power plants to blowout and loss of power.
An event like this occurs rarely, with the biggest solar storm crippling for technology in 1859, when an electrical surge during what is now known as the Carrington Event, was so strong that the telegraph systems fell. down across Europe.
It is also reported that some buildings were set on fire as a result of the electrical surge.
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