Did you see those scary ‘solar storm 2021’ posts on social media? Don’t panic, it’s not real - OregonLive
On Friday, July 16, 2021, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting a solar storm is heading toward Earth and could impact cell phone signals and cause blackouts.
But Alex Young, solar physicist at NASA, says a July 3 solar flare did interfere with some high frequency communication, but the impact was less than it could have been.
CLAIM: A solar storm is heading toward Earth and could impact cell phone signals and cause blackouts.A solar flare, which is a kind of solar storm, did take place on July 3.When the magnetic fields get twisted and build up energy, they may violently release that energy in a flash of light, said Alex Young, solar physicist at NASA.“We typically get 150 of them over an 11 year cycle,†Murtaugh said about solar flares.The July 3 solar flare did interfere with some high frequency communication, but Young said the impact was less than it could have been.