There is an opinion that due to the indignation of the geomagnetic field of the Earth, people can experience malaise and even serious health problems. We decided to check whether magnetic storms are really able to negatively affect the human body.

Many media reports on the harmful effects of magnetic storms on well -being, for example, "RIA Novosti","News","Russian newspaper","Channel One" and others. In their materials, it is noted that due to changes in the magnetic field of the planet, a person may have headache, nausea, as well as the risk of heart attacks and death from them, they are especially dangerous for people with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. Can Meet Such information and specialized medical Portals. Also They tell About the danger of magnetic storms Users social networks.

Sun Constantly generates electromagnetic radiation. But sometimes on its surface occur flashes - powerful ejection of light, energy and charged particles. Also in the sun occurs from time to time Coronal mass emissions, that is, splashes of plasma and magnetic radiation from the solar atmosphere. If they arise on the side, which is currently turned to the ground, radiation can reach our planet. However, everything is not as scary as it sounds, because the earth is protected magnetosphere - areas where the magnetic force field prevails, fed core planets. In many ways, it was thanks to this protection on Earth that life was able to arise. When the flow of solar energy after the next outbreak reaches the magnetic field of the planet, after the collision it begins to fluctuate - this is called magnetic (or geomagnetic) storms.

An illustration of events in the sun, changing conditions in the near -Earth space. Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA, Public DomainVia Wikimedia Commons

The magnetic field redirects a significant part of this energy to the northern and southern poles of the Earth - for this reason, a polar shine. However, a strong magnetic storm can bring To the generation of excess electric current (and, as a result, damage to the electric networks), the difficulty of radio communications and navigation, as well as problems in the management of satellites. In 2021, a researcher from the University of California (USA) Sangit Abdu Joti introduced a report called "Geomagnetic storms: preparing for the Internet-apocalypse", Where she predicted that in the case of a serious magnetic storm, the main underwater Internet cables connecting countries and continents may suffer, and this will violate the work of the network around the world. There is no practical confirmation of its theory yet, but magnetic storms have already caused failures in the work of ground infrastructure.

The fact that solar outbreaks affect the geomagnetic field of the Earth was first noticed by the American astronomer Richard Carrington in 1859 Carrington events, later named after him in his honor. Then in the sun there was one of the most powerful outbreaks in the history of observations, and the very next day, a geomagnetic storm fell on Earth, which disabled telegraph systems. Polar radiance, usually noticeable near the North or South Pole, were visible even in the tropics. Then Carrington realized that it was a powerful outbreak in the sun, which he observed earlier, and caused a magnetic storm on Earth.

However, there is no consensus on the influence of magnetic storms on human health in the scientific environment. US Geological Service claimsthat due to the increase in the radiation background during this natural phenomenon, only astronauts and pilots working at large heights are exposed to some danger-outside the protection of the atmospheric layer of the Earth. But there are those who do not agree with such an expert assessment.

Coronal mass release in the sun on August 31, 2012. Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CC by 2.0Via Wikimedia Commons

The study of the influence of magnetic storms on earthly organisms is engaged in scientific discipline Heliobiology. Although research in this area has been conducted from the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries, it was not possible to find work that would unequivocally confirmed the significant impact of magnetic storms on human health. In 2020, researchers from Saudi Arabia conducted review Heliobiology achievements over the previous 20 years were unable to find convincing evidence that flashes in the sun could seriously affect people's well -being. The authors of the work note: in order to confirm or refute such statements, additional large -scale studies are required. In 2021, Russian scientists also conducted a systematic review Over the past 25 years, scientific surveys in this field have not found convincing practical or statistical confirmation of the theory that magnetic storms can provoke the appearance or exacerbation of any diseases.

However, in 2014, New Zealand scientists published review Six large studies about stroke conducted from 1981 to 2004 in Europe, Australia and New Zealand and based on data on more than 11,000 patients. They compared the dates of medical assistance with data on geomagnetic storms and found that on such days they diagnosed a stroke by 19% more often. It sounds frightening, but not all experts agree with such conclusions. For example, an expert on the assessment and treatment of a stroke at the Department of Neurology at the University of Chicago James Borson Commented The work of colleagues is like this: “The idea that geomagnetic storms affect whether we have a stroke seem to be magical thinking. I would advise any of my patients to not worry about it in any case. It is still unknown whether this will be confirmed. ”

Due to the considerable opinion about the harmful effects of magnetic storms on their health, impressionable people can really experience malaise-at least due to self-hypnosis. Some specialists Explain This Necebo effect (it is opposite to the placebo effect) when that that should not have any effect, causes harm only from a person’s conviction of the harmful influence of this phenomenon.

Thus, despite the fact that there is a whole section of science devoted to the study of the impact of space weather (including magnetic storms) on human health, today there is no consensus on the science community that has been tested. Although there are some statistics that during the days of geomagnetic storms there is an increase in the frequency of strokes, there are no specific scientific explanations for this phenomenon, and some specialists are completely skeptical of such data. According to many experts, for any final conclusions, further large-scale research is needed.

Photo on the cover: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA, Public DomainVia Wikimedia Commons