Jet radiation has reached a 20-year high during the last solar period, scientists confirm
The sun is currently in its active phase and is already triggering powerful solar flares, which are fueling severe geomagnetic storms on Earth. But the effects of these solar flares may be more important than the disruption of the discount or the occasional appearance of the northern lights, as a new study warns.
In a recent release, the Surrey Space Center (SSC) in the United Kingdom reported that a burst of solar activity caused a burst of intense radiation strong enough to be detected at low levels. An early analysis revealed that the radiation levels of 40,192 meters) -Equipment usually sold by commercial aircraft – exceeding ten times, surpassing the previous record set almost 20 years ago.
“This was the strongest event of its magnitude we have seen since December 2006,” Clive Dyer, a climate scientist at the University of Surrey in the UK, said in a statement. “We know from historical experience that very large events can happen, and we need to be prepared.”
In recent solar events…
The Sun follows a 22-year magnetic field cycle, with the sun moving up and down about every 11 years. But when the conditions are right, solar flares – solar radiation – and cause coronal mass ejections (CMEs), or large outflows of plasma that disrupt the Earth’s magnetic field as they head towards the planet.
NASA M2M SWO BO role the speed of the CME at 1856 km / s – the fastest CME! The CME images in Cor2 Data look perfect. Great, fast CME. Most have been cured. I think it’s safe to say this will be one of the more impressive CMEs around the cycle (fingers crossed… pic.twitterster.com/9RyxKisaps
– Jure Atanackov (@jatananov) November 11, 2025
This can cause geomagnetic storms and disrupt communication systems, experts at institutions such as NOAA monitor the activity of the sun to issue warnings as early as possible. When the frisky sunspot cluster exploded in solar flares early last month, Noaa was able to capture and report on the event.
High research opportunity
Naturally, researchers jumped at the chance to directly measure future solar events; The SSC launched weather balloons just as a powerful solar flare hit Earth on November 11. The balloons flew up to the skies, allowing researchers to collect live data on solar radiation levels.
“Because this type of event is very unpredictable, it is important to capture as much data as possible when they occur where they occur,” said the head of the SSC, said in a statement. “This was our first opportunity to use the new rate-reaction balloon sensors in a real event and they worked very well, giving us a ‘3D picture’ of the radiation going up every time.”
Dismissal is a problem
Horrifyingly, this palala freakout caused an air traffic jam. Last week, Airbus recalled thousands of its A320 family aircraft for critical software issues and canceled flights during peak travel times, citing “significant scheduling challenges and delays” caused by solar radiation.
The SSC report confirmed that in a storm, high radiation levels can make 60 errors per hour per gigabyte with the aircraft’s electronic systems. That was only used for flights on November 11, when the solar flares were at their strongest, and not when the storms picked up last week.
The timing of the recall, on October 30, and the cancellation of the previous one, could indicate the limited preparedness of the aviation sector for weather events. Airplanes are “continuously bombarded with cosmic rays,” Dyer told Photoweather.com. “This can lead to anomalies even when no solar storm is occurring.”
The increased radiation levels are concerning, yes, but more for the electronic systems of the plane than the health of the passengers, he added.
“I only believe that the 11th 11th event focuses on this problem,” dyersed. Tony Phillips of Spaceweather.com noted that the planes probably didn’t “harden up well with this kind of light” caused by high-altitude particles from solar events, adding, “upgrading the plane’s software is a good idea!”
