AI Predicts Solar Storms Days in Advance

Quick Summary

• Scientists at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) have developed an AI model that forecasts solar wind speeds up to four days in advance with improved accuracy.
• Solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, can disrupt Earth’s atmosphere, damage satellites, and interfere with power grids during strong events.
• In 2022, intense solar wind caused SpaceX to lose 40 Starlink satellites, highlighting the necessity for better prediction systems.
• The AI model uses high-resolution ultraviolet (UV) images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory and historical data to identify patterns linked to solar wind changes.
• Compared to existing methods:

– forecast accuracy is enhanced by 45% versus operational models.- Improvement over previous AI efforts stands at 20%.

• The study was led by Postdoctoral Associate Dattaraj Dhuri and Dr.Shravan Hanasoge at NYUAD’s Centre for Space Science (CASS).
• This innovation could bolster protection for satellites, navigation systems, and power grid infrastructures-critical elements of modern life.

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Indian Opinion Analysis

India remains highly dependent on satellite technology for telecommunications,navigation systems like GPS-aided agriculture practices (e.g., PM Kisan), disaster forecasting tools like ISRO’s cyclonic modelling expertise, and also its burgeoning space ambitions. Better prediction models such as this new AI-developed framework are significant globally but hold particular relevance for India’s space program and infrastructure.

Disruptive “space weather” events tied to unexpected solar winds directly threaten india’s investments in programs like Gaganyaan or regional security surveillance instruments launched via ISRO-space crafts nearby regions under international-Space-Centered policies