Solar Storms Could Hit Earth as Early as This Week

Independence Day may be out of the way, but the fireworks aren’t over just quite yet. Earlier this summer, researchers noted the sun’s increasing activity could potentially lead to an “internet apocalypse” in the coming months as solar storms impact the satellites orbiting Earth. Now, some say a pair of geomagnetic storms could reach the planet as soon as this week.

Physicist Dr. Tamita Skov detailed the news in a Twitter thread on Tuesday, saying the Sun recently pushed two solar storms into space. Though the first is expected to only lightly impact our planet, the second could become a direct hit. According to Skov, the current models predict a “hit” of Friday, July 7th.

The Sun launches double punch #solarstorms on #July4th! NASA prediction shows impact before noon July 7 UTC. The first storm is slower & will go mainly northeast. The second is faster & more a direct hit. Fast solar wind follows. G1-level possible with #aurora to mid-latitudes. pic.twitter.com/HhVIsgZcDr

— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) July 5, 2023

Though the strength of the storms are still unknown, Skov points out they could potentially trigger G1-level warnings, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says could have a minor impact on grid systems. More likely than wide scale blackouts, however, are increased auroras that can be seen as far south on the planet as Michigan and Maine.

While the incoming storms may be on the lighter end, increased activity throughout the entire year has some preparing for a potential blackout as the storms get stronger. The NOAA says that such a blackout could take weeks to repair, effectively disrupting most methods of communication including telephone, radio, and TV.

“We’re already seeing a lot more big sunspots,” University of Reading physics professor Mathew Owens told Business Insider. “There’s a few this last week or so that were visible to the naked eye,” he said, though he cautioned you shouldn’t look straight to the sun which can damage your eyes, and only see these through strong filters.

The worst solar storm on record impacted the planet in 1859, severely impacting telegraph lines. Given we’re nearly 200 years into the future, and much more technology can be impacted this time around.

“It was the smallest we’d had for about a hundred years,” Owens added, “The danger of going from a small cycle to a slightly bigger one is that you then realize where all the vulnerabilities are.”

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