A team of researchers recently followed a powerful region on the sun, known as NOAA 13664, for 94 days. This region caused the strongest geomagnetic storms Earth has faced in over 20 years, leading to disruptions in satellite operations, agriculture, and even railway systems.
Tracking this solar activity was made possible by the combined efforts of the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. The Solar Orbiter, launched in 2020, has a unique orbit that allows it to see parts of the sun that are typically out of reach. This incredible partnership gave scientists an uninterrupted view of NOAA 13664’s evolution, something that’s never been done before.
When NOAA 13664 Appeared
Typically, solar spots only remain visible from Earth for about two weeks. However, the Solar Orbiter provided early insights into NOAA 13664. By May 2024, when this region finally rotated into view, it didn’t take long to reveal its power. According to Louise Harra, a professor from ETH Zurich, the region even triggered fantastic auroras visible as far south as Switzerland.
Researchers observed NOAA 13664 through three complete solar rotations, allowing them to witness its transformation into a chaotic magnetic field. This unpredictable behavior on the sun revealed itself over time and underscores the complexity of solar weather.
How NOAA 13664 Affected Earth
The impact of NOAA 13664 extended beyond stunning displays in the sky. In May 2024, modern technology faced real challenges. Agriculture, particularly, felt the brunt as satellite signals crucial for drones and sensors were disrupted. This led to delays in farming operations and crop losses.
Harra highlighted another concern: railway signals were also affected. In some instances, signals shifted mistakenly from red to green, raising alarms about how these space weather events influence our vulnerable infrastructure.
Historically, solar activity has caused significant disruptions before. For example, in February 2022, heightened solar activity destroyed most of a new batch of Starlink satellites. NOAA 13664 served as a reminder of how deeply connected our lives are to solar activity happening 150 million kilometers away.
Understanding Solar Behavior
The strength of NOAA 13664 came from its complex and changing magnetic field. These solar regions form when plasma from the sun disturbs its surface, creating immense energy that can lead to solar storms. Harra explained, “When we see a region with a complicated magnetic field, we know a lot of energy is building up for release in solar storms.”
According to a study in Astronomy & Astrophysics, NOAA 13664’s magnetic field became more tangled and unstable over the 94 days of observation. The most powerful flare erupted on May 20, 2024, from a side of the sun not directly visible from Earth, yet the dual spacecraft allowed scientists to capture valuable data.
While predicting solar eruptions remains a challenge, this unique data set marks a significant advancement in our understanding of solar weather. Ioannis Kontogiannis, a solar physicist at ETH Zurich, emphasizes the need to study our sun: “We live with this star, so it’s essential to understand how it works and impacts our world.”
For more details on solar observations, you can explore the findings published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
