NEW DELHI: Electromagnetic radiation from a sunspot (AR 3664 sunspot) formed on the Sun about 15 times the size of Earth is creating concern. The light miracle known as Aurora was also visible. Intense X-class radiation caused radio blackouts in Europe, Africa, and Japan. Two solar winds flowed on the 7th and 8th of this month. There is concern today and tomorrow. This is a warning from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOVA). The Solar Wind Electron Energy Probe and Solar Wind Iron Composition Analyzer on ISRO's solar mission Aditya-L1 are monitoring changes in the solar wind.

Every eleven years, the Sun's magnetic field is completely reversed by the perturbation of charged particles. The north and south poles will switch and sunspots will form. A solar flare is the most violent explosion of these. The resulting electromagnetic radiation travels at the speed of light and reaches the Earth in eight minutes. There will also be magnetic and plasma flows from the Sun's outer layer, the corona. This is known as coronal mass ejection. Magnetic storms and colourful auroras occur when it collides with the Earth's magnetic field. Northern Lights (aurora borealis) at the North Pole and aurora australis at the South Pole. Northern Lights were visible in various countries on Friday.

Threat to astronauts

1. A threat to satellites and astronauts
2. Internet, airline services, GPS, power grid, electronic devices, communication and digital money transactions will be disrupted.

AR 3664 Sunspot

• It has a size visible to the naked eye.
• Two lakh km area
• It should only be viewed through filter glasses used to view solar eclipses

The Carrington Event, 1859

• The strongest solar wind in history
• Named after British scientist Richard Carrington
• This disturbed the Earth's magnetic field
• The telegraph network in the US and Europe was disrupted.
• Power supply was disrupted