Type | Geomagnetic storm |
---|---|
Formed | October 2003 |
Dissipated | November 2003 |
Damage | Electrical faults and wear to various satellites |
Power outages | Satellite communications blackouts; localized power outage in Sweden |
Areas affected | Worldwide |
Part of
Solar cycle 23 |
The Halloween solar storms were a series of solar storms involving solar flares and coronal mass ejections that occurred from mid-October to early November 2003, peaking around October 28–29. [1] [2] [3] This series of storms generated the largest solar flare ever recorded by the GOES system, modeled as strong as X45 (initially estimated at X28 due to saturation of GOES' detectors). [4] [5]
Satellite-based systems and communications were affected, aircraft were advised to avoid high altitudes near the polar regions, [6] and a one-hour-long power outage occurred in Sweden as a result of the solar activity. [2] Aurorae were observed at latitudes as far south as Texas [2] and the Mediterranean countries of Europe. [6] Twelve transformers in South Africa were disabled and had to be replaced, despite the country's low geomagnetic latitude. [7]
The SOHO satellite failed temporarily and the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) was damaged by the solar activity. [2] Numerous other spacecraft were damaged or experienced downtime due to various issues. Some of them were intentionally put into safe mode in order to protect sensitive equipment. [6] Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) had to stay inside the more shielded parts of the Russian Orbital Segment to protect themselves against the increased radiation levels. [8]
Emissions from the CME were later observed by the Mars Odyssey spacecraft orbiting Mars, Ulysses spacecraft near Jupiter, and the Cassini spacecraft en route to Saturn. In April 2004, Voyager 2 was also able to detect them as they reached the spacecraft. [8]
One of the solar storms was compared by some scientists in its intensity to the Carrington Event of 1859. [9]
These events occurred during solar cycle 23, approximately three years after its peak in 2000, which was marked by another occurrence of solar activity known as the Bastille Day event.
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