MOSCOW, November 6. A powerful magnetic storm covered the planet on the evening of November 5, the Institute of Applied Geophysics reported.
According to space weather observation data, the degree of magnetic field disturbance reached a “strong” level of G3 with a maximum of G5 around 18.00 Moscow time on November 5 and lasted for three hours, then began to gradually decrease. The Kp index reached seven at its peak.
«The geomagnetic field on November 5 may be unstable, on November 6 — slightly disturbed,» the institute said in a statement.
At the same time, scientists admitted that they incorrectly estimated the power of the solar flare. It occurred on November 3 and coincided with a weaker one, so it was perceived as an ordinary event and it was calculated that the plasma flow would reach the Earth on November 6, but it reached our planet a day earlier. The emission itself turned out to be so strong that Russians observed the northern lights even in the south of the country.
To determine the level of its danger and the degree of impact on people's lives, the G index is used. In total, five degrees are distinguished: from the weakest G1, which has almost no effect on electronics, to the extreme — G5, which can cause serious problems and deterioration of well-being.
Kp is a planetary index that characterizes the global disturbance of the magnetic field in a three-hour interval.
Magnetic storms last from several hours to several days. The stream of charged particles ejected by the Sun moves at a speed of about 400 kilometers per second and can penetrate the Earth's magnetic field. When they collide, the solar wind can penetrate the magnetosphere, which protects us from most of these charged particles, and cause temporary changes in the Earth's magnetic field.