solar storms
Sun's violent outbursts
Solar storms are disturbances on the sun that release bursts of energy, radiation, and charged particles into space.
When directed toward Earth, they can disrupt radio communications, damage satellites, endanger astronauts, and in severe cases knock out electrical grids.
The most visible effect is intensified aurora activity—northern and southern lights extending to unusual latitudes.
Scientists monitor solar storms to protect infrastructure.
Star's outermost atmosphere
- flaresPyrotechnic distress signals
- sunspotsDark patches on star
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- photosphereStar's light-emitting surface
chromosphere · prominence · filament · space weather · heliosphere · eruption · reconnection · NOAA
Polar atmospheric light display
- southern lightsPolar luminescence, hemisphere opposite
- aurora borealisHigh-latitude luminous sky phenomenon
- aurora australisAntarctic atmospheric light display
- polar lightsAtmospheric luminous phenomenon
night sky · green glow · curtains · arcs · oval · visibility · skygazers · photographers
Complete power loss
- power gridLinked transmission system
- satelliteOrbiting celestial body
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
- communicationsExchange of information
navigation · outage · interference · transformer · infrastructure · vulnerability · airlines · spacecraft
Celestial body's protective field
- magnetic fieldForce zone around magnets
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- transformersVoltage-altering electrical devices
- geomagnetismEarth's magnetic field
Positive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- charged particlesAtoms with net electricity
- cosmic raysEnergetic particles from beyond
- ionizingProducing charged particles
gamma rays · ultraviolet · dosimeter · ISS · radiation belt · high-energy
corona
Star's outermost atmosphere
photosphere · chromosphere · prominence · filament · space weather · heliosphere · eruption · reconnection · NOAA
northern lights
Polar atmospheric light display
- southern lightsPolar luminescence, hemisphere opposite
- aurora borealisHigh-latitude luminous sky phenomenon
- aurora australisAntarctic atmospheric light display
polar lights · night sky · green glow · curtains · arcs · oval · visibility · skygazers · photographers · Scandinavia
blackout
Complete power loss
- power gridLinked transmission system
- satelliteOrbiting celestial body
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
communications · navigation · outage · interference · transformer · infrastructure · vulnerability · airlines · spacecraft · radio
magnetosphere
Celestial body's protective field
- magnetic fieldForce zone around magnets
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
- transformersVoltage-altering electrical devices
protons
Positive nuclear particles
- electronsNegative charges in atoms
- charged particlesAtoms with net electricity
- cosmic raysEnergetic particles from beyond
ionizing · gamma rays · ultraviolet · dosimeter · ISS · radiation belt · high-energy
- sunsol, sunlight, sunspots, sunshine, sunbeam
- space hazardsasteroids, comets, meteors, meteorites, cosmic rays
- space weatheraurora borealis, northern lights, auroras, southern lights, magnetosphere
- aurorasnorthern lights, southern lights, polar lights, aurora borealis, aurora australis
- Cli-Ficli-fi, climate fiction, climate disaster, eco-fiction, ecofiction
- cosmic rayscosmic rays, cosmic radiation, proton, protons, electron
storm, solar, storms, solstice, solar wind, solar flare, solar flares, solar cycle, solar activity