Magnetic storms can ruin the 2012 Olympics

The strength of magnetic storms will reach its highest level in 2012, making telecommunications satellites unable to transmit data about the Olympic Games in the UK.

The sun's episodes of the upper atmosphere can affect the earth.Photo: godandscience.org.

Magnetic storms occur when charged particles emanating from the solar wind act on the earth's magnetic induction lines. They can paralyze the operation of artificial satellites and even attack power networks on the ground. Scientists have calculated that magnetic storms reach a maximum of 11 years. According to the Telegraph, astronomers predict the upcoming peak of the storm from which it will coincide with the 12th Olympic Games in London, England.

Professor Richard Holdaway - a scientist at Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in the UK - says news about the Olympics may not reach viewers because of the storm.

International astronomers make the warning in the context of the US Aeronautics Agency (NASA) preparing to launch the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft on space to study the sun. The ship will take photos of the sun at a high resolution and send data to the earth daily. After flying to space, Solar Dynamics Observatory will operate for 5 years.

Until now, the scientific community has not had any way to predict the storms caused by the sun. Their intensity is strong enough to hinder satellite data transmission. But experts hope the Solar Dynamics Observatory will change the situation.

"The sun's activity can have a strong impact on the earth. By studying the activity of the sun, we hope that we will more accurately predict the magnetic storms it causes and find out what New ways to protect technical systems on earth, "said Richard Harrison, a scientist at Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory.

Harrison asserts that the level of damage will decrease if we turn off the electrical systems before the storm happens.

Solar winds are streams of charged particles escaping from the upper part of the sun. Because of carrying high-energy electrons and protons, the solar wind can escape the gravitational pull of stars. In addition to magnetic storms, solar wind also causes aurora (occurs after charged particles in the solar wind interact with the magnetic field of the planet) and many other phenomena.