Southern African skies light up with aurora as historic solar storm hits Earth

A historic solar storm struck Earth throughout the night of Friday, May 10, 2023, and continued through Saturday, May 11, 2024. The Space Meteorology Center of the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) has issuing several G4 warnings and, for the first time since 2003, a G5 warning has been issued. The geomagnetic storm scale indicates the severity of geomagnetic storms. It is denoted by a G followed by a number from 1 to 5, with 1 being a minor event and 5 being an extreme event.

A geomagnetic storm occurs when charged particles from the Sun, caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME), interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. The impact of such a storm on technological systems can be significant, and can disrupt satellite communications, power grids and GPS systems. However, it is also the origin of the northern and southern lights. Several reports of the Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, were visible in the southern tip of Africa. There were reports of southern light sightings from Gansbaai in the Western Cape and Namibia, among others.

Energetic particles from the Sun cause auroras as they interact with gases in the upper atmosphere. Jon Ward, acting executive director of SANSA Space Science in Hermanus, noted that this is the largest geomagnetic storm observed in a long time. Although the probability of such a storm occurring is quite low, the severity of impacts on technological systems can be very high. The energy and transport sectors are particularly vulnerable at the moment.

Space time is a global phenomenon; the impacts are regional and vary greatly depending on the time of the storm’s arrival and whether the region experiences it during the day or at night.”

South Africa built the SANSA Space Weather Center to focus on impacts in the African region. This storm highlights the importance of companies using technologies susceptible to the adverse effects of space weather and including space weather in their risk planning. The world is so dependent on technology now, and everything is so integrated, with devices getting smarter and more interconnected. We are much more susceptible to disruptions due to solar events and space weather than we were 20 years ago. Space weather awareness is critical in planning to protect against potential losses.

The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) launched its 24/7 operational Space Weather Center at its Hermanus facility in November 2022. This facility state-of-the-art lation operates 24 hours a day to monitor and mitigate space weather risk on our continent. . SANSA has been actively studying and forecasting space weather since 2009 and is the only accredited space weather center in Africa.

Watch this video about space weather here.

About the South African National Space Agency

At SANSA, we believe in creating infinite impact for all South Africans through technological advancement and innovation. The agency was established in 2010 through the South African National Space Agency Act, 36 of 2008. SANSA aims to promote cooperation in space-related activities, encourage space science research , advance scientific engineering through human capital and support the development of an enabling environment. to the industrial development of space technologies.

For more information, contact df*****@sa***.za”>Daleen Fouchea communication professional at SANSA, i vm*****@sa***.za”>Vaneshree Maharajthe communication manager of SANSA.