Mobile phone power outages in the USA after explosions in the sun; NOAA denies the relationship

A “power outage” in the cell phone system across the United States on Thursday coincided with two large solar flares. There have been three large outbursts in the Sun in the past 24 hours, the largest of which was Thursday night in Chapter X6.3. Space weather experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say it is unlikely that solar activity caused the phone system to stop working.

Two powerful solar flares exploded from the Sun Wednesday night and during the early hours of Thursday. The first session of Chapter X1.8 was held at 8:07 PM Brasilia time yesterday. The second, Category X1.7, erupted at 3:32 a.m. today, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a statement about the events.

Meanwhile, widespread cell phone outages were reported across the country in the United States on Thursday morning following solar flares. According to the Associated Press, tens of thousands of outages have been reported by major cellphone operators such as AT&T, Verzion and T-Mobile. Reports of power outages began around the same time as the solar flares.

Solar scientists have questioned claims of a link between the two events. “Explosions only cause radio degradation where it is daytime on Earth. Solar flares occurred when it was nighttime in the United States.

In a statement on social media, the Space Weather Prediction Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction and Monitoring Center, highlighted an “improbable” connection between cell phone system power outages and two high-intensity solar flares. They are separated by a few hours.

Larger explosions on the Sun produce large bursts of plasma into space, known as coronal mass ejections, and in more intense explosions like tonight, they can combine into a large-scale ejection capable of triggering a powerful geomagnetic storm and auroras at mid-latitudes in both hemispheres. The floor. A solar storm can generate geomagnetic activity capable of disrupting radio communications and GPS navigation services.

Why is the sun in the news so much these days? Because it is close to the maximum of the eleven-year solar cycle, where many eruptions usually occur. What is the solar cycle? Our sun is a huge ball of hot, electrically charged gas. This charged gas moves, generating a strong magnetic field. The Sun's magnetic field goes through a cycle called the solar cycle.

Every 11 years or so, the Sun's magnetic field changes completely. This means that the north and south poles of the sun exchange places. It then takes about 11 years for the Sun's north and south poles to flip again. The solar cycle affects activity on the Sun's surface, such as sunspots caused by the Sun's magnetic fields.

As magnetic fields change, the amount of activity on the surface also changes. One way to track the solar cycle is to count the number of sunspots. The beginning of the solar cycle is solar minimum, or when the Sun has the fewest sunspots. Over time, solar activity – and the number of sunspots – increases. The middle of the solar cycle is solar maximum, or when the Sun has the greatest number of sunspots. When the cycle ends, it returns to solar minimum and then a new cycle begins.

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