May 10, 2024 is a date that will be marked in the astronomical calendars of the entire history of humanity.. A solar storm lashed the protective shields of the Land and caused northern and southern lights in unprecedented latitudes for our planet. So, it is normal for us to ask ourselves: When is the next one?
Let us keep in mind that what we experienced 13 days ago was the most intense solar storm in 20 years. And the northern and southern lights, in regions like Mexico, Chile, Italy, Spain and another handful of countries, had not happened for 165 years, with the so-called Carrington Event.
Do we have to wait all that time to see a similar event again? Scientists explain that it is unpredictable, although they dare to say that solar storms have been intense in recent cycles, so we will probably see something similar soon.
We recently had a talk with the Chilean astronomer Sebastián Campos, director of the Galileo Observatory (Pisco Elqui). He himself told us that it was very difficult to know. The Sun is in a constant storm. What changes is the intensity with which it sends its particles towards the rest of the planetary system that orbits above it.
“It is very unpredictable to know exactly, we know that it is within the possibilities but we have no certainty when it will happen again. Solar activity and its coronal mass ejections are a field about which we still do not have much knowledge. The possibility is there, we will see what happens this year,” he told us during the talk.
![Is the next solar storm about to hit Earth? This is what astronomers explain Is the next solar storm about to hit Earth? This is what astronomers explain](https://www.fayerwayer.com/resizer/v2/D3YYTG53VJERPNTOAWWXQZKKXQ.jpg?auth=31d0c2fb7a8684a7cdfea2f6649479ace905d3a29ffaa772cbdb5b0341e2f814&width=800&height=450)
Let us remember that this phenomenon that we witnessed 13 days ago is part of solar cycle 25, which began in 2019 and is estimated to end next year. The intensity that we experienced recently was planned for the end of this year, but the intensity of the Sun's behavior brought it forward to this first half of 2024.