MOSCOW, May 10.< /strong> For the first time in 20 years, a magnetic storm of the highest, fifth level may occur on Earth, said Sergei Bogachev, head of the Solar Astronomy Laboratory at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
«In three days, the Sun has thrown four exceptionally large clouds of plasma towards our planet. Some of them will merge en route into a single, even larger object, which, according to calculations, will hit the Earth's magnetic field tonight,» he said . 
By According to the agency's interlocutor, at its peak the storm level will be at least G4.33, while there is a 15 percent chance that it will reach G5 level for the first time since 2005.
Later, the Solar Astronomy Laboratory reported that it had registered a new, particularly large flare on the Sun — class X3.9. It has become the fourth strongest in the last 25 years.
The power of magnetic storms is assessed on a five-point scale. Storms of level G1 are considered the weakest; they have almost no effect on the operation of electrical appliances. Level G3 is a severe storm that directly impacts power systems and causes disruption to satellite navigation and radio communications. The maximum level is G5, large-scale problems with the power grid and serious malfunctions in the operation of satellites and radio communications are possible.
Over the past two days, six flares of the highest grade X have occurred on the Sun. Currently, the level of flare activity is about 9.8 on a ten-point scale . In the next two to three days, the explosive energy will subside. Geomagnetic storms of varying degrees of strength can continue on Earth until the end of the week, Bogachev emphasized.
During strong magnetic storms, people may feel a headache, weakness, pressure surges, and experience insomnia. Scientists attribute this to the fact that when the magnetic field fluctuates, capillary blood flow slows down and tissue oxygen starvation occurs. 
Свежие комментарии