The sun is spewing solar flares, and the resulting storm is fast approaching Earth at breakneck speed. Naturally, this solar phenomenon has attracted the attention of the whole world. Even though the sun is very far away, the solar storm is not expected to weaken when it reaches Earth. Either way, the solar storm is moving at a tremendous speed. According to Spaceweather.com, solar flares can move at speeds of up to 500 km/sec. The question is, are they destructive? Yes, they can knock out communication and power infrastructure. The Planetary Society tweeted, “Never underestimate the power of the sun. In March 1989, a solar storm caused a 12-hour blackout across the entire province of Quebec, Canada.” But when it comes to individual devices, like cell phones, the question is, will a solar storm shut them down?
The answer to that question is, yes, it can happen to cell phones, but it poses a bigger threat to GPS devices as the radiation from solar flares can disrupt communication with GPS satellites, increasing the risk that the signal will be affected. Cell phones can also be affected, but this is rare.
When will a solar storm affect your cell phone? Madison.com responded to a reader’s question saying, “While it’s true that solar flares can disrupt communications, they probably won’t affect your cell phone. Solar flares emit lots of radiation, including X-rays and ultraviolet rays, which can disrupt radio signals. But for cell phone signals to be affected, the cell phone tower would have to be in the same direction (from your perspective) as the sun.”
Also read: Looking for a smartphone? Check out our mobile finder here.
Major solar storms aren’t that common. Earth has been lucky to not be in the path of one for a long time. But in 1859, one of the biggest solar storms occurred. History.com explains: “That night (September 1), telegraph communications around the world began to fail. There were reports of sparks raining down from telegraph machines, electrocuting operators, and burning papers. Across the globe, colorful auroras lit up the night sky, glowing so brightly that birds began to sing.”
Scott McIntosh, an astrophysicist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told Business Insider that Earth’s upper atmosphere is “profoundly” affected by the sun’s magnetic eruptions. “It’s real, even if you don’t feel it every day,” he said. “You might not feel it, but your bank might, your power company almost certainly feels it, and your phone company absolutely feels it.”
