www.sciencedaily.com
In May 2024, a powerful solar storm provided researchers with a unique opportunity to observe Earth’s plasmasphere under extreme space weather conditions. The Arase satellite witnessed the plasmasphere shrinking dramatically and taking days to recover. This event caused auroras to extend far beyond their typical locations and triggered a “negative storm” in the ionosphere, significantly hindering atmospheric recovery. The observations, offering critical insights into how intense solar activity impacts satellites, GPS, and communications, highlight the vulnerability of these systems to such events.
