Solar storm's effects to lash Earth today

scientists have said that the planet Earth is 'being bombarded by high-energy particles unleashed by the strongest solar storm since 2005.'Due to this, they said the charged particles have mostly become a concern for satellites - which they can disrupt, likewise the astronauts.Such particles, the scientists said can also cause communication problems for aircraft travelling near the poles.A report indicated that 'the geomagnetic storm has been caused by a potent flare that erupted from the Sun at 0400 GMT on Sunday.'The effects of this, the scientists said are likely to be felt on Earth throughout today.A more benign effect of the outpouring of particles is the ability to see aurorae, or 'Northern lights', further south than is usually possible.A spokesman for United States space agency, NASA, said that flight surgeons and solar scientists have modelled the flare's predicted effects.They decided that the six astronauts on the International Space Station do not have to take any action to protect themselves from the incoming stream of particles.Solar flares are caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun's atmosphere.In an event called a coronal mass ejection (CME), bursts of charged particles are released into space.This can interfere with technology on Earth, such as electrical power grids, communications systems and satellites - including satellite navigation (or sat-nav) signals.In 1972, a geomagnetic storm provoked by a solar flare knocked out long-distance telephone communication across the US state of Illinois.And in 1989, another storm plunged six million people into darkness across the Canadian province of Quebec.But as spokesman for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Centre, said the effects of this solar eruption seem likely to be moderate.
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