May 21, 2025

Solar Flare Frenzy: Earth's Brush with the Biggest Geomagnetic Storm in 20 Years

Solar Flare Frenzy: Earth's Brush with the Biggest Geomagnetic Storm in 20 Years

This episode of SpaceTime explores the recent surge in solar activity, including the largest solar flare of the year and the most intense geomagnetic storm in two decades. Massive Solar Flare and Its Implications
We delve into the details of a powerful X 2.7 class solar flare that erupted from a newly active sunspot region, AR14087. Although the flare was not initially directed towards Earth, its rotation has now positioned it directly in our path. We discuss the mechanics of solar flares, their classification, and the potential impacts of such events on our planet, including disruptions to communication systems, satellite operations, and even power grids. The Gannon Storm: A Historic Geomagnetic Event
The episode highlights the Gannon Storm, a severe geomagnetic storm that struck Earth on May 10, 2024. Coinciding with a space weather exercise, this event caused significant disruptions, including high voltage power line failures and rerouted flights due to radiation exposure. We analyze its effects on the atmosphere, satellites, and even the ionosphere, revealing insights into how such storms can impact modern technology. Ancient Solar Storms and Their Modern Implications
In a fascinating segment, we discuss a groundbreaking study that identifies the strongest solar storm ever recorded, dating back to 12350 BCE. This ancient event, significantly more intense than any modern storm, provides invaluable data for understanding solar activity and its potential risks to contemporary infrastructure. Science Robert: Long Work Hours and Brain Changes
We also touch on a new study revealing how long working hours could alter brain structures, potentially affecting memory and emotional regulation.Join us as we unpack these cosmic phenomena and their implications for life on Earth and beyond.
www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com
✍️ Episode References
Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine
https://journals.lww.com/joem/Pages/default.aspx
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-space-astronomy--2458531/support .
00:00 Solar flares are powerful blasts of energy erupting from sunspots
10:30 May 2024 was the biggest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years
14:29 New study reveals strongest solar event ever recorded, rewriting science on space weather
18:23 A new study claims people who work long hours could have altered brain structures

The Astronomy, Space, Technology & Science News Podcast.

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00:00:00,288 --> 00:00:04,371
This is Space Time Series 28
Episode 61 for broadcast on the

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21st of May 2025.

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Coming up on Space Time, the
biggest solar flare this year,

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the biggest geomagnetic storm in
the past 20 years, and the most

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extreme solar storm known to
have hit the Earth.

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All that and more coming up on
Space Time.

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Welcome to Space Time with
Stuart Gary.

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Well, we've just experienced the
largest solar flare so far this

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year, producing an X2.7 class
event. The massive eruption

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emanated from a newly appeared
active sunspot region catalogued

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is AR-14087.

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It's one of two X-class flares
and several smaller M-class

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events, all coming from the same
region.

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Luckily, they weren't pointed
directly towards the Earth,

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leaving the planet on the outer
edge of the strike zone. But of

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course that's now changed, as
this active region has now

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rotated to directly face the
Earth.

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The event happened as the Sun
reaches solar maximum, the

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climax of its 11-year solar
cycle.

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Solar flares are powerful blasts
of energy erupting from sunspots

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on the Sun's surface.

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Sunspots are slightly cooler
regions on the Sun's surface,

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the photosphere, caused by
magnetic field lines from deep

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inside the Sun breaking through
the surface and looping out into

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space.

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Now because the Sun is fluid
rather than solid, different

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latitudes rotate at different
rates. And this causes the

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magnetic field lines to twist
and snap.

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When they reconnect... Process
called magnetic reconnection, it

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triggers powerful explosions
near the surface known as solar

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flares.

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Solar flares are classified
according to their strength. The

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smallest ones are B-class, that
's followed by C, then M, and

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the largest are X-class flares.
It's similar to the Richter

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scale used for earthquakes, with
each letter representing a

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10-fold logarithmic increase in
energy output.

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So, an X-class flare is 10 times
as strong as an M-class flare,

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and 100 times as strong as a
C-class flay.

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Within each letter class, there
's a finer scale from 1 to 9.

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C-class flares are too weak to
noticeably affect the Earth, but

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M-class flares can cause brief
radio blackouts at the poles and

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minor radiation storms that
could endanger people in space.

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Although X is the last letter,
these flares can have more than

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10 times the power of an X-1
class, so they can go much

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higher than an X-9.

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The most powerful flare on
record was back in 2003 during

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the last solar maximum. In fact,
it was so powerful it overloaded

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the sensors measuring it. They
cut out at X17, and the flare

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was later estimated to be about
at X45.

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A powerful X-class flare like
that can create long-lasting

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radiation storms, which can harm
and even destroy satellites,

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give airline passengers flying
near the poles dose of

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radiation, scramble
communication and navigation

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systems, and even overload power
grids, causing widespread

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blackouts on the ground.

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The most powerful solar flares
can trigger coronal mass

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ejections, huge blasts of the
Sun's material, including

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protons, electrons, magnetic
field and helium nuclei.

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Now our current solar cycle,
number 25, began back in

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December 2019 and so should be
reaching solar max around now.

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This is when the Sun reaches its
most violent phase, with lots of

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sunspot activity and
consequently lots of solar

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flares and coronal mass
ejections. The number of

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sunspots are predicted to reach
a peak of around 115 by July

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this year, making the current
solar cycle weaker than average

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and only slightly more active
than the previous solar cycle

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24.

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During each of these roughly
11-year solar cycles, the Sun's

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magnetic field flips in
polarity. North Pole becomes

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South and South Pole North. And
this flip occurs when the solar

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cycle reaches solar minimum,
with the next flip probably

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occurring around 2030.

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This is Space Time.

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Still to come, the biggest
geomagnetic storm in 20 years,

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and the most extreme solar storm
ever known to have hit the

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Earth. All that and more still
to come on Space Time.

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While spectacular, the most
recent geomagnetic storm events

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we've seen pale into
insignificance when compared to

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the solar storm that hit the
Earth just a year ago, which has

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now officially been listed as
the biggest in 20 years.

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Amazingly, that event coincided
with the inaugural space weather

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tabletop exercise. The exercise
was meant to be a training event

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where experts could work through
real-time ramifications of a

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major geomagnetic storm, a
global disruption to Earth's

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magnetic field.

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Now, as we mentioned earlier,
geomagnetic storms can decimate

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satellites, overload electrical
power grids, and expose

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astronauts to dangerous levels
of radiation. So minimizing the

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impact of such storms requires
close coordination, and so this

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meeting was a chance for
scientists to practice.

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But then their simulation turned
into reality. The director of

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NASA's Space Weather Program,
Jamie Favors, says the plan was

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to run through a hypothetical
scenario, finding where existing

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processes worked and where they
needed improving. But then this

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hypothetical scenario was
interrupted by the real thing.

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On May 10, 2024, the first G5 or
severe geomagnetic storm in more

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than two decades hit planet
Earth. The event, named the

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Gannon Storm, me. In memory of
the leading space weather

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physicist Jennifer Gannon,
didn't cause any catastrophic

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damages. But a year on, key
insights into the Gannon Storm

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are helping scientists
understand and prepare for

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future geomagnetic events.

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The Gannon Storm had effects
both on and off our planet. On

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the ground, some high-voltage
power lines tripped,

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transformers overheated, and
GPS-guided tractors veered off

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course in the Midwest United
States, further disrupting

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spring planting that had already
been delayed by heavy rains.

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In the air, the threat of high
radiation exposure, as well as

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communications and navigation
losses, forced numerous

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transatlantic and transpacific
flights to change course. During

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the storm, Earth's upper
atmospheric layer, the

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thermosphere, heated to
unusually high temperatures.

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In fact, at 160 kilometers in
altitude, the temperature, which

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typically peaks at around 650
degrees Celsius, surpassed over

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1,150 degrees.

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NASA's Global Scale Observations
of the Lemon Disk, or GOLD,

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mission observed the atmosphere
expanding from the heat

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generated to create a strong
wind that lofted heavy nitrogen

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particles much higher into
space.

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In orbit, the expanded
atmosphere increased drag on

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thousands of satellites.

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NASA's ICESat-2 lost altitude
and wound up entering safe mode,

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while NASA's Colorado
interradiation-built experiment

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CubeSat was forced to de-orbit
prematurely.

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Other spacecraft, such as the
European Space Agency Sentinel

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mission, required more power to
maintain their orbital altitude,

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and they were forced to perform
maneuvers to avoid collisions

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with space debris. The storm
also dramatically changed the

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structure of the Earth's
ionosphere.

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A dense zone of the ionosphere
that normally covers the equator

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at night dipped downwards
towards the South Pole, forming

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a sort of checkmark shape and
causing a temporary gap near the

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equator. The Gannon Storm also
rocked Earth's magnetosphere,

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the magnetic bubble that
surrounds the planet.

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Data from NASA missions MMS and
Thermos Artemis saw giant

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curling waves of particles in
rolled-up magnetic fields along

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the edge of the coronal mass
ejections. And these waves were

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perfectly sized to periodically
dump extra magnetic energy and

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mass into the magnetosphere upon
impact, in the process creating

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the largest electrical current
seen in the magnetosphere in 20

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years.

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Incoming energy and particles
from the Sun also created two

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new temporary belts of energetic
particles within the

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magnetosphere. These belts
formed between the existing Van

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Allen radiation belts which
permanently surround the Earth.

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The storm also ignited auroral
activity around the globe,

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including at lower latitudes
where these celestial light

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shows are rare. NASA's
Aurorasaurus project was flooded

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with more than 6,000 observer
reports from over 55 countries

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on all seven continents.

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Photographers helped scientists
better understand why the

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aurorae observed throughout
Japan were magenta rather than

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the typical red in colour.
Researchers studied hundreds of

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photos and found that the
aurorae were surprisingly high,

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around 1,000 kilometers above
the ground. That's around 320

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kilometers higher than red
aurorae typically appear.

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In a paper published in the
journal Scientific Reports, the

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authors found the peculiar color
of the aurorae likely resulted

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from a mix of red and blue
aurorae, produced by oxygen and

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nitrogen molecules lofted higher
than usual as the Gannon Storm

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heated and expanded the upper
atmosphere.

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And impacts of the Sun's
amped-up solar activity didn't

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end in Earth space.

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The solar region that sparked
the Ganon storm eventually

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rotated away from our planet and
redirected its outburst towards

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the planet Mars.

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As energetic particles from the
Sun struck the Martian

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atmosphere, NASA's MAVEN orbiter
watched the aurora engulf the

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red planet from May 14 through
to the 20th. And solar particles

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overwhelmed the star camera on
NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter,

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causing the camera to cut out
for almost an hour.

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Meanwhile, down on the Martian
surface, images from the

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navigation cameras on NASA's
Curiosity rover were freckled

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with snow, streaks and specks
caused by the charged particles.

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Curiosity's Radiation Assessment
Detector recorded the biggest

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surge of radiation since the
rover landed on the red planet

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Mars' Gale Crater back in 2012.

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Had astronauts been there, they
would have received a radiation

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dose of around 8,100 micrograys.
That's equivalent to some 30

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chest X-rays. The Gannon Storm
spread aurorae to unusually low

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latitudes.

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In fact, it's been called the
best documented geomagnetic

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storm in history. And the data
captured during this historic

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event will continue to be
analysed for years to come,

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revealing new lessons about the
nature of geomagnetic storms and

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how best to weather them.

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This report... From NASA TV.

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In May 2024, a spectacular
multicolored light show flooded

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the skies across the world.
These displays are known as the

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00:10:39,266 --> 00:10:39,926
auroras.

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They're usually seen near the
polar regions, but that May, sky

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watchers spotted the glowing
lights far from Earth's poles.

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People were witnessing the
biggest geomagnetic storm in

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over 20 years.

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This storm was so intense. It
was the most intense in two

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00:10:57,926 --> 00:11:00,667
decades. This was one of those
large events that we've been

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talking about for years.

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00:11:03,127 --> 00:11:05,768
It all began from this active
region on the Sun.

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Active regions are known for
having intense magnetic fields.

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00:11:10,489 --> 00:11:13,410
And the more tangled those
fields become, the more likely

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00:11:13,490 --> 00:11:14,410
they are to erupt.

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00:11:15,151 --> 00:11:19,872
We watched the active region
evolve, and we thought that this

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00:11:19,932 --> 00:11:22,273
might be something to watch and
might be something active.

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00:11:23,233 --> 00:11:27,187
Eventually, The active region
unleashed a chain of huge solar

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00:11:27,227 --> 00:11:29,329
eruptions directly towards us.

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00:11:30,269 --> 00:11:33,972
What made it so strong was the
fact that there was so much

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00:11:34,092 --> 00:11:38,035
energy put off by the Sun. It
was really great conditions for

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00:11:38,036 --> 00:11:38,715
the perfect storm.

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00:11:39,736 --> 00:11:43,318
On May 10th, the eruptions
reached Earth, triggering a

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00:11:43,378 --> 00:11:46,881
global disruption to Earth's
magnetic field, known as a

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geomagnetic storm.

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00:11:49,242 --> 00:11:54,050
It was rated a G5, the rarest
and strongest type. The powerful

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00:11:54,130 --> 00:11:58,514
storm pushed auroras to appear
in unusual places like Arizona

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00:11:58,554 --> 00:12:01,317
in the United States and Perth
in Australia.

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00:12:02,218 --> 00:12:06,061
That energy interacted with the
Earth and created the aurora and

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00:12:06,182 --> 00:12:09,645
caused all sorts of disturbances
that we felt here on the ground.

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The storm caused some high
voltage lines to trip and

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transformers to overheat.
Transatlantic flights rerouted.

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00:12:18,101 --> 00:12:21,904
Due to risks of high radiation
exposure and communication and

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navigation disruptions.

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00:12:24,145 --> 00:12:27,928
Farther up, NASA saw Earth's
upper atmosphere get unusually

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hot.

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00:12:28,989 --> 00:12:32,972
The temperature 100 miles up in
the thermosphere usually peaks

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00:12:33,052 --> 00:12:37,735
at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, but
during the storm it reached

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00:12:37,736 --> 00:12:40,037
2,100 degrees Fahrenheit.

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00:12:40,858 --> 00:12:44,080
The heating caused the
atmosphere to expand, which

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00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:45,221
affected satellites.

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00:12:46,029 --> 00:12:49,090
There were thousands of
satellites that had to move

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00:12:49,091 --> 00:12:51,591
their orbits because the storm
was coming through.

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00:12:52,551 --> 00:12:56,712
The storm also affected the
space beyond Earth. It created

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00:12:56,872 --> 00:13:00,373
two new temporary belts of
energetic particles around our

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00:13:00,393 --> 00:13:04,554
planet, adding to Earth's two
permanent ones, which are known

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00:13:04,714 --> 00:13:07,015
as the Van Allen radiation
belts.

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00:13:07,695 --> 00:13:10,896
The particles in these belts can
harm orbiting satellites and

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00:13:11,016 --> 00:13:14,617
astronauts heading for deep
space. So NASA studies them

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00:13:14,677 --> 00:13:15,037
closely.

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00:13:16,253 --> 00:13:19,915
As the Sun rotated, the active
region eventually moved away

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00:13:19,975 --> 00:13:23,416
from Earth and redirected its
outbursts towards Mars.

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00:13:24,217 --> 00:13:28,058
On Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover
saw solar particles from the

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00:13:28,118 --> 00:13:32,620
storm. The rover also recorded
the biggest surge of radiation

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00:13:32,801 --> 00:13:36,522
since it landed in 2012. If an
astronaut had been on the

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Martian surface, they would have
received a radiation dose

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00:13:39,764 --> 00:13:42,565
equivalent to 30 chest X-rays at
once.

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00:13:44,145 --> 00:13:47,627
With spacecraft throughout the
solar system and modern cameras

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00:13:47,628 --> 00:13:50,569
in so many people's pockets, the
storm was the most

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00:13:50,709 --> 00:13:52,330
well-documented in history.

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00:13:53,270 --> 00:13:56,952
There's lots of data. We're able
to actually use that data to

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00:13:57,092 --> 00:14:00,074
understand things and predict
more and more how this is going

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00:14:00,075 --> 00:14:00,874
to affect our Earth.

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00:14:01,735 --> 00:14:05,177
Although the storm passed within
days, NASA will continue to

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00:14:05,257 --> 00:14:09,059
learn from the observations for
years to come, helping us better

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00:14:09,079 --> 00:14:11,040
prepare for the next big storm.

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00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,802
And in that report from NASA TV.
We heard from NASA

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00:14:13,902 --> 00:14:15,784
heliophysicist Kelly Korek.

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00:14:16,484 --> 00:14:20,768
This is Space Time. Still to
come, the most extreme solar

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00:14:20,808 --> 00:14:23,691
storm ever known to have hit the
Earth, and later in the science

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00:14:23,751 --> 00:14:27,475
report, a new study claims
people who work long hours could

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00:14:27,515 --> 00:14:31,358
have altered brain structures.
All that and more still to come

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00:14:31,919 --> 00:14:32,920
on Space Time.

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00:14:48,605 --> 00:14:51,452
New researchers uncovered the
strongest solar event ever

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00:14:51,492 --> 00:14:53,998
recorded, in the process
rewriting science's

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00:14:54,058 --> 00:14:58,286
understanding of space weather
and radiocarbon dating. This new

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00:14:58,386 --> 00:15:01,488
finding expands the timeline and
intensity of known solar

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00:15:01,548 --> 00:15:04,790
activity and sets a new upper
boundary for such solar

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00:15:04,810 --> 00:15:05,470
phenomenon.

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00:15:05,990 --> 00:15:09,732
The study's authors discovered
an extreme spike in radiocarbon

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00:15:09,892 --> 00:15:15,035
corresponding to the year 12,350
BCE, during the dusk of the last

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00:15:15,215 --> 00:15:19,397
ice age. The study, by Silja
Gullibeko and Ilja Uzorskin from

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00:15:19,398 --> 00:15:22,319
the University Of Ulo in
Finland, utilised their newly

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00:15:22,379 --> 00:15:24,800
developed chemistry climate
model which was specifically

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00:15:24,860 --> 00:15:27,862
designed to reconstruct solar
particle storms under ancient

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00:15:27,902 --> 00:15:29,502
global climatic conditions.

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00:15:30,123 --> 00:15:32,784
The model confirmed that the
detected solar event was

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00:15:32,804 --> 00:15:37,327
approximately 18% stronger than
the notorious year 775 event

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00:15:37,507 --> 00:15:40,308
which until now had been the
strongest solar storm ever

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00:15:40,368 --> 00:15:42,309
recorded using tree ring
archives.

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00:15:43,030 --> 00:15:45,831
Lubenko says that compared to
the largest event in the modern

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00:15:45,931 --> 00:15:49,513
satellite era which is the 2005
particle storm, the ancient

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00:15:49,573 --> 00:15:54,515
12,350. BCE event was more than
500 times more intense.

280
00:15:55,216 --> 00:15:58,217
Other large known solar particle
events occurred around the years

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00:15:58,277 --> 00:16:06,941
994, 663 BCE, 5259 BCE and 7176
BCE and a few other candidates

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00:16:06,961 --> 00:16:10,642
are still being investigated.
The new model was verified using

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00:16:10,682 --> 00:16:13,824
wood samples recently found in
the French Alps dating back some

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00:16:13,904 --> 00:16:15,624
4,300 years.

285
00:16:16,505 --> 00:16:20,327
Solar particle storms are rare
but when they occur they bombard

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00:16:20,328 --> 00:16:23,329
the Earth with an enormous
amount of high-energy particles.

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00:16:24,069 --> 00:16:28,272
In comparison, the famous
Carrington Solar Storm of 1859

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00:16:28,273 --> 00:16:31,414
was a different kind of event
and not accompanied by a solar

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00:16:31,454 --> 00:16:36,377
particle storm. Gulabenko says
the ancient event in 12,350 BCE

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00:16:36,678 --> 00:16:39,880
is the only known extreme solar
particle event outside the

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00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,242
Holocene Epoch, which is the
past 12,000 years of stable,

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00:16:43,302 --> 00:16:44,103
warm climate.

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00:16:44,863 --> 00:16:47,025
With this model, the authors
were able to assess the

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00:16:47,065 --> 00:16:50,167
strength, timing and terrestrial
effects of what is now the most

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00:16:50,247 --> 00:16:53,009
powerful and extreme solar
particle event ever known.

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00:16:53,849 --> 00:16:56,411
Solar particle storms can
greatly enhance the normal

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00:16:56,451 --> 00:16:59,954
production of cosmogenic
isotopes like radiocarbon-14 in

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00:16:59,955 --> 00:17:02,315
the atmosphere, which are
produced by galactic cosmic

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00:17:02,395 --> 00:17:02,836
rays.

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00:17:03,616 --> 00:17:06,538
Such enhanced production,
preserved in annual tree rings,

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00:17:06,798 --> 00:17:10,081
serves as a clear cosmic
timestamp, making possible

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00:17:10,221 --> 00:17:12,342
absolute dating of tree samples.

303
00:17:13,043 --> 00:17:16,385
These dramatic spikes, known as
Miyake events after the Japanese

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00:17:16,425 --> 00:17:19,347
researcher first discovered
them, offer invaluable data for

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00:17:19,367 --> 00:17:22,628
scientists studying both solar
activity, ancient Earth systems,

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00:17:22,708 --> 00:17:27,030
and space climate. Miyake events
allow scientists to pin down

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00:17:27,110 --> 00:17:30,391
exact calendar years in floating
archaeological chronologies.

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00:17:31,092 --> 00:17:34,113
Radiocarbon signals from such
events have already enabled

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00:17:34,153 --> 00:17:36,794
researchers to precisely date
Viking settlements in

310
00:17:36,814 --> 00:17:40,036
Newfoundland and Neolithic
communities in Greece. The

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00:17:40,096 --> 00:17:43,337
findings are revising science's
understanding of solar physics

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00:17:43,617 --> 00:17:47,179
and space weather extremes. And
this event establishes a new

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00:17:47,279 --> 00:17:48,360
worst-case scenario.

314
00:17:49,140 --> 00:17:51,982
Understanding its scale is
critical for evaluating the

315
00:17:52,002 --> 00:17:55,044
risks posed by future solar
storms to modern infrastructure

316
00:17:55,244 --> 00:17:58,666
such as satellites, power grids,
and communication and navigation

317
00:17:58,746 --> 00:17:59,306
systems.

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00:18:00,087 --> 00:18:01,688
This is Space Time.

319
00:18:17,838 --> 00:18:19,940
And time now to take another
brief look at some of the other

320
00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,083
stories making use in science
this week with a science report.

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00:18:23,904 --> 00:18:27,126
A new study claims that people
who work long hours could have

322
00:18:27,307 --> 00:18:30,329
altered brain structures. A
report in the Journal Of

323
00:18:30,369 --> 00:18:33,252
Occupational Environmental
Medicine looked at brain scans

324
00:18:33,253 --> 00:18:37,216
of 110 participants who worked
either 52 or more hours a week

325
00:18:37,416 --> 00:18:39,798
or a standard 35 to 40 hour
week.

326
00:18:40,454 --> 00:18:43,015
They found that when compared
with those who worked standard

327
00:18:43,035 --> 00:18:46,096
hours, those who worked
excessive hours had changes in

328
00:18:46,136 --> 00:18:49,457
brain regions associated with
working memory, problem solving,

329
00:18:49,617 --> 00:18:51,037
and emotional regulation.

330
00:18:51,697 --> 00:18:54,458
Now, while this study only
provides a snapshot, can't be

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00:18:54,558 --> 00:18:56,879
used to show cause and effect,
the authors say previous

332
00:18:56,959 --> 00:18:59,919
research had linked overwork
with various health issues, and

333
00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:03,300
these results can help provide
more insights into overwork and

334
00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:04,041
our bodies.

335
00:19:05,821 --> 00:19:09,322
Engineers have invented a smart
sponge-like device that can

336
00:19:09,402 --> 00:19:11,144
capture water from thin air.

337
00:19:11,865 --> 00:19:14,668
A report in the Journal Of
Cleaner Production claims the

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00:19:14,708 --> 00:19:18,371
system uses the Sun's energy and
works even in low humidity where

339
00:19:18,431 --> 00:19:21,835
other technologies such as fog
harvesting and radiative cooling

340
00:19:21,895 --> 00:19:25,018
have struggled. They say the
water from their device remained

341
00:19:25,058 --> 00:19:27,921
effective across a broad range
of humidity levels from 30 to

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00:19:27,941 --> 00:19:31,905
90% and temperature levels
between 5 and 55 degrees

343
00:19:31,906 --> 00:19:32,506
Celsius.

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00:19:34,270 --> 00:19:38,072
A new study claims that a ban on
smartphones and social media

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00:19:38,192 --> 00:19:41,613
access for kids doesn't promote
a healthy use of technology by

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00:19:41,673 --> 00:19:45,115
children. The findings, reported
in the British Medical Journal,

347
00:19:45,255 --> 00:19:48,216
claims the focus should move to
a rights-based approach with

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00:19:48,296 --> 00:19:50,978
age-appropriate design and
education, one that protects

349
00:19:51,038 --> 00:19:53,839
kids from harm while developing
the right skills to help them

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00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:55,740
participate in a digital
society.

351
00:19:56,528 --> 00:19:59,230
The authors say that blanket
restrictions on technology like

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00:19:59,270 --> 00:20:02,452
smartphones are a stop-gap
solution that does little to

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00:20:02,492 --> 00:20:05,574
support a child's longer-term
healthy engagement with digital

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00:20:05,634 --> 00:20:09,257
spaces across school, home and
other occasions.

355
00:20:11,218 --> 00:20:14,420
Australian telecommunications
giant Telstra has begun testing

356
00:20:14,421 --> 00:20:17,582
the Starlink broadband satellite
network for remote customers

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00:20:17,662 --> 00:20:21,185
beyond the conventional cell
phone network. With the details,

358
00:20:21,285 --> 00:20:23,967
we're joined by technology
editor Alex Saharov-Reut from

359
00:20:24,047 --> 00:20:25,688
TechAdvice.life.

360
00:20:25,908 --> 00:20:28,790
Yeah, well, they've been testing
their Starlink capability to

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00:20:28,930 --> 00:20:32,172
send text messages to people.
And they're going to launch this

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00:20:32,352 --> 00:20:35,393
in Australia later this year.
Now, this mirrors what Verizon

363
00:20:35,433 --> 00:20:39,416
did in the US with their ability
to send messages via Starlink.

364
00:20:39,476 --> 00:20:43,158
And this is augmented over what
Apple launched a couple of years

365
00:20:43,198 --> 00:20:46,460
ago, or the IPhone 14, which has
now been extended to the IPhone

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00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,662
13, to send emergency messages
via SOS. And now, of course, you

367
00:20:49,663 --> 00:20:53,224
can send other messages and use
Find My and let your relatives

368
00:20:53,244 --> 00:20:53,884
see where you are. But.

369
00:20:53,944 --> 00:20:56,005
But in other parts of the world,
like Australia and New Zealand

370
00:20:56,025 --> 00:20:59,005
and phone companies are like,
wow, well, we can send messages

371
00:20:59,045 --> 00:21:02,106
and hopefully eventually soon
also make phone calls via

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00:21:02,206 --> 00:21:05,167
satellite networks when people
are outside of the traditional

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00:21:05,407 --> 00:21:08,528
cellular network. And this is a
very handy capability. So

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00:21:08,668 --> 00:21:12,809
Telstra has sent 55,000 text
messages in its testing phase.

375
00:21:12,989 --> 00:21:14,370
And so this is basic testing.

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00:21:14,510 --> 00:21:17,771
You don't have to be doing this
for emergency purposes, but it

377
00:21:17,772 --> 00:21:21,372
is for hard to reach places
where the network doesn't exist.

378
00:21:21,672 --> 00:21:25,193
This is part of the ability for
regional Australians primarily

379
00:21:25,233 --> 00:21:27,914
because they're the ones who
live outside of the traditional

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00:21:28,314 --> 00:21:30,255
4G and 5G mobile network
coverage.

381
00:21:30,495 --> 00:21:33,917
And they did also send 500 plus
messages in the live trial and

382
00:21:33,918 --> 00:21:37,018
they've been also sending GPS
coordinates and emojis via text

383
00:21:37,058 --> 00:21:40,900
message. So this is an awesome
update to the ability for the

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00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:44,062
world to stay in contact
wherever you are and the

385
00:21:44,282 --> 00:21:47,563
ubiquitous communications that
we've sort of dreamed of for

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00:21:47,843 --> 00:21:49,484
years ever since we've had
satellites.

387
00:21:49,624 --> 00:21:53,046
Calls via Iridium and then
mobile networks that have grown

388
00:21:53,066 --> 00:21:55,948
and grown. This is the next
logical step. And given the fact

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00:21:55,949 --> 00:21:59,591
that Elon Musk wants to get us
all to Mars, no doubt at some

390
00:21:59,611 --> 00:22:01,892
point soon this will be
interplanetary as well. But for

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00:22:01,893 --> 00:22:04,674
the time being, we're still
firmly anchored here on Earth.

392
00:22:04,675 --> 00:22:07,836
That's Alex Saharov-Royd from
TechAdvice.live.

393
00:22:23,436 --> 00:22:24,917
And that's the show for now.

394
00:22:25,618 --> 00:22:28,620
Space Time is available every
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395
00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:33,043
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396
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397
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399
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400
00:22:45,732 --> 00:22:48,714
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407
00:23:09,950 --> 00:23:12,332
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408
00:23:13,053 --> 00:23:15,795
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