Solar Storms Seen In 1582 Could Hit Earth Again And Cause Damage, Warn Scientists

Researchers have uncovered centuries-old accounts of the 1582 solar storm. They¡¯ve got their hands on a Portuguese scribe dating early March 1582, which describes the magnificent light show never before experienced by people of the nation.

AP

Today we know about auroras that are seen in higher latitudes -- the green strands of light that put on a beautiful show. However, at the time, people who lived closer to the equator (people like us) weren¡¯t aware of this phenomenon, so when they saw it for the first time, they were truly taken aback.

Also Read: A Wild Solar Storm Is Coming Our Way And It Might Cause A Partial Blackout On The Planet

The 16th-century Portuguese chronicle describes what eyewitness Pero Ruiz Soares saw in Lisbon, ¡°A great fire appeared in the sky to the North, and lasted three nights. All that part of the sky appeared burning in fiery flames; it seemed that the sky was burning. Nobody remembered having seen something like that¡­ At midnight, great fire rays arose above the castle which were dreadful and fearful. The following day, it happened the same at the same hour but it was not so great and terrifying. Everybody went to the countryside to see this great sign.¡±

Researchers (in their study) reveal that something similar was experienced across feudal Japan where people in Kyoto got to see a similar display of fiery red skies. There have also been records of the mention of this event in Leipzig, Germany, South Korea and several other nations in Europe and East Asia.

Why learn more about a solar storm from five centuries ago?

Now you might be wondering why would scientists read old accounts of an event that happened nearly five centuries ago. Well, they dug them up to learn more about that event and such events are crucial indicators for a pattern in solar weather.

Also Read: 15 Stunning Pics Of Earth¡¯s Aurora Between City Lights And Heavenly Stars

Understanding them could help scientists better predict future solar storms. As per records, researchers suggest that these massive solar storms are at least a once-in-a-century occurrence, and since we¡¯re just at the beginning of the 21st century, we need to be prepared for one.

NASA

What do solar storms do?

Solar Storms occur when the sun is at its peak solar activity. The sun shoots out boiling hot plasma in the form of solar flares and winds. These affect Earth¡¯s magnetosphere that produces vibrant auroras around regions where auroras are not normally seen. Even though most solar storms have nothing to worry about, a massive one could cause devastating interference with electronics.

Also Read: Strong Solar Storm Sparks Global Aurora On Mars, Big Enough To Be Detected On Earth

A solar storm in 1989 destroyed power grids in Quebec, causing a 12-hour blackout where millions were engulfed in darkness. Rewinding further to a solar storm in 1859 that¡¯s known in history as the Carrington Event, saw telegraph lines destroyed.

And with the tech-savvy, work-from-home world we live in today, a blackout like this could do some serious damage. These can also carry heavy levels of radiation which could severely affect astronauts in space and future missions to the Moon and Mars.