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On Tuesday, a powerful X-class solar flare erupted on the Sun. Fortunately, this eruption will not have any direct impact on Earth, but its neighboring planets, Venus and Mars, are within its reach, according to The Weather Channel reports.
Solar activity has been exceptionally high in the past year as we approach the solar maximum. This period marks the peak of an 11-year cycle during which the Sun’s magnetic field undergoes a complete reversal, resulting in the switch of its north and south poles.
Although Earth has experienced fewer intense flares directed towards it in recent months, a new sunspot named AR3341 erupted on June 20, unleashing an X1.1-class solar flare. The radiation emitted by this flare ionized the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere, leading to a temporary blackout of deep shortwave radio signals across North America.
In addition to the flare, a coronal mass ejection (CME) also erupted from the Sun. CMEs are massive bursts of radiation and solar particles that rapidly expand into space when the Sun’s magnetic field lines suddenly rearrange. According to a NASA model, this CME is projected to reach Mars and Venus during the current week.
Venus will be the first to experience the impact on Thursday, as the CME erodes a portion of its upper atmosphere. Mars, on the other hand, can expect more intriguing effects on Sunday (June 25), with spaceweather.com predicting the occurrence of auroras.
Fortunately, these auroras will be visible to Mars-orbiting satellites like MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission). MAVEN is presently the only instrument capable of observing both solar activity and the response of Mars’ thin atmosphere to it.
Beyond the captivating display of lights, accurate prediction of when a developing solar storm will reach the Red Planet is crucial for safeguarding ongoing missions and future human explorers on Mars. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field to shield against the harmful radiation associated with solar storms.
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