How About...a Storm?

A Solar Storm is expected to hit Earth

Goddard Space Weather Lab detected a Big Sunpot AR1520 that unleashed an X1.4-class solar flare on July 12th.

Solar flares, like the one you can see at the image above, are the result of sudden and violent discharge of magnetic energy that has built up at the solar atmosphere. When such thing happens, radiation is emitted, across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. This means in ways as:

• radio waves at long wavelength 
• optical emissions (which can be seen with naked eye)
• x-rays
• gamma rays

So what? doesn't the Sun work by "constantly exploding" ? The answer is no. The sun works by fusion. This process involves:

-2 hydrogen atoms 

-high pressure

-fusion

These three ingredients make just the perfect receipt to transform matter into energy.

At the core, gravity pulls all of the mass inward and creates an intense pressure. The pressure is high enough to force atoms of hydrogen to come together in nuclear fusion reactions -- something we try to emulate here on Earth. Two atoms of hydrogen are combined to create helium-4 and energy in several steps:

1. Two protons combine to form a deuterium atom(hydrogen atom with one neutron and one proton), a positron (similar to electron, but with a positive charge) and a neutrino.
2. A proton and a deuterium atom combine to form a helium-3 atom (two protons with one neutron) and a gamma ray.
3. Two helium-3 atoms combine to form a helium-4 atom (two protons and two neutrons) and two protons.

These reactions account for 85 percent of the sun's energy. The remaining 15 percent comes from the following reactions:

1. A helium-3 atom and a helium-4 atom combine to form a beryllium-7 (four protons and three neutrons) and a gamma ray.
2. A beryllium-7 atom captures an electron to become lithium-7 atom (three protons and four neutrons) and a neutrino.
3. The lithium-7 combines with a proton to form two helium-4 atoms.

The helium-4 atoms are less massive than the two hydrogen atoms that started the process, so the difference in mass is converted to energy as described by Einstein's theory of relativity (E=mc²). The energy is emitted in various forms of light: ultraviolet light, X-rays, visible light, infrared, microwaves and radio waves.

The sun also emits energized particles (neutrinos, protons) that make up the solar wind. This energy strikes Earth, where it warms the planet, drives our weather and provides energy for life. We aren't harmed by most of the radiation or solar wind because the Earth's atmosphere protects us.

 That is the normal process through which energy at the Sun is transformed, meaning that such violent and sudden eruptions at Sun spots are not normal. 

They only warn us about one thing: A Solar Storm is about to come. 

Scientists at the Goddard Space Weather Center saw this flares on July 12th :

And this is the picture of the Sun flare with some zoom:

Predictions are that, due to the current position of that sunspot, and direction of that sun flare, our planet Earth will be disturbed by this Solar Storm. Some of the effects could be clearly seen at radio signal and communication mediums. Sometimes this type of natural phenomenon affect our daily life for a few minutes.

We should stay in touch in order to find out as much as possible about the probable effects on Earth.

Remember, July 14th  around 0:917 UT (+/- 7 hours) and could spark strong geomagnetic storms.

Just as a quick fact: these type of eruptions emit the same amount of energy as 100 megaton hydrogen bombs exploding at the same time. 

Stay Tuned!

I.