For a few hours, some satellites experienced electrical failure and at the same time, radio communications at high latitudes were also disrupted. Which is an astronomer most likely to predict was the cause?(1 point)
Responses
coronal mass ejections
coronal mass ejections
a geomagnetic storm
a geomagnetic storm
solar flares
solar flares
solar energetic particles
coronal mass ejections
An astronomer would most likely predict that the cause of the electrical failure in satellites and radio communication disruption at high latitudes was a geomagnetic storm.
To explain how to arrive at this conclusion, let's break down the different options:
1. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs): These are massive eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona. While CMEs can cause disruptions to satellite and radio communications, they typically affect a wider area and can last for days. Additionally, the question states that the electrical failure and disruptions lasted only a few hours, which makes CMEs less likely to be the cause.
2. Solar flares: Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation emitted by the Sun. They can also affect satellite and radio communications, but like CMEs, their effects tend to last longer than just a few hours. Therefore, solar flares are also less likely to be the cause in this scenario.
3. Solar energetic particles: These particles are accelerated during solar events like CMEs and solar flares. While they can also interfere with satellites and radio communications, they usually have a longer-lasting impact and wouldn't be limited to just a few hours.
4. Geomagnetic storms: Geomagnetic storms occur when the Earth's magnetic field is disturbed by high-speed solar wind or CMEs. This disturbance can cause fluctuations in the Earth's magnetosphere, leading to electrical disturbances in satellites and disruptions in high-latitude radio communications. Geomagnetic storms often have a short-lived duration, sometimes lasting only a few hours, which aligns with the given timeframe in the question. Therefore, a geomagnetic storm is the most likely cause in this scenario.
In summary, based on the given information and the duration of events, an astronomer would most likely predict that a geomagnetic storm was the cause of the electrical failure in satellites and the disruption of radio communications at high latitudes.