Big solar flare unlikely to affect S'pore

A series of activities within the Sun began on Sunday, when a large flare was produced, along with a blast of plasma known as a coronal mass ejection.

Since then, several other flares and ejections have followed, hurtling towards Earth at speeds of up to 6.4 million kmh. Commercial airlines have had to re-rout several aircraft from polar regions.

The largest solar flare in five years is expected to disrupt power grids and communication networks across the world, say experts.

However, its impact here is likely to go unnoticed.

Meteorological and astronomy experts said that the flare may affect satellites, global positioning systems and radio communication.

"Unlike other countries, where you have power grids and cables running high above ground, ours are underground and, therefore, wouldn't be exposed to the radiation as much," said Mr Alfred Tan, an astronomy enthusiast specialising in sun analysis.

Another reason could lie in the Earth's own electromagnetic field, which forms an added layer of protection against the radiation.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
Content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.