ePanorama.net » Space

Extreme solar storm hit earth

Tomi Engdahl — Mon, 13 May 2024 21:50:00 +0000

A massive solar storm rocked the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles this weekend, triggering spectacular auroras in the night sky across a substantial swath of both North America and Europe. Over the last weekend, one of the strongest geomagnetic storms of the millennium was experienced. ‘Extreme’ solar storm triggers Northern Lights as far south as Florida Friday. Skies across the U.S. lit in a spectacular colorful glow not seen in years to decades as massive solar flares slammed into Earth on Friday, triggering “extreme” levels of geomagnetic activity. It was expected to be G4 level, but it turned to be an “extreme” G5 geomagnetic storm. The storm reached “extreme” levels — Category G5 — on Friday and Saturday, enough to wreak havoc on communications equipment and even the power grid, believed to be the strongest storm of its type in over 20 years.. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth’s atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground (amount of radiation is pretty insignificant), but periods of intense solar activity can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, nervous system, heart rate and blood pressure.

According to the Northern Lights forecast of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, geomagnetic activity will remain higher than normal during the beginning of the week. The solar wind is still fast over the earth, and mass coronal eruptions that probably hit the earth have been emanating from the sunspot region that caused the storm every day. This solar activity involves the release of energy from the sun that travels through space and eventually reaches Earth. Solar radiation storms occur when a large-scale magnetic eruption, often causing a coronal mass ejection and associated solar flare, accelerates charged particles in the solar atmosphere to very high velocities. The most important particles are protons which can get accelerated to large fractions of the speed of light. When that radiation hits the magnetic sphere surrounding the planet, it causes fluctuations in the ionosphere, a layer of the upper atmosphere.

Those fluctuations in the ionosphere can affect communications systems, GPS positioning and electrical power networks.
“Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations,” NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said in a release. “SWPC has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action.” Aside from brilliant and widespread displays of the aurora, geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations, the SWPC says. The huge solar storm is keeping power grid and satellite operators on edge. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there have been measurable effects and impacts from the geomagnetic storm that has been visible as aurora across vast swathes of the Northern Hemisphere. So far though there have been no reports of major damage.

The last time Earth experienced a Level 5 geomagnetic event, there were power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa. Every few centuries the Sun blasts Earth with a huge amount of high-energy particles. The largest known geomagnetic storm in history, known as the Carrington Event of 1859, caused telegraph stations to spark and catch fire. If it were to happen today, it would wreak havoc on technology. A solar storm the size of the Carrington Event could knock out the backbone of the Internet.

Those changes can directly affect satellites and other spacecraft in orbit, altering their orientation or potentially knocking out their electronics. Those changes to the ionosphere can also block or degrade radio transmissions trying to pass through the atmosphere to reach satellites. And they can also prevent radio transmissions from satellites reach earth. SpaceX’s Starlink service warned on its website Saturday morning that it was experiencing “degraded service,” though it didn’t give further details. There has been some degradation and loss to communication systems that rely on high-frequency radio waves.

Since GPS satellites depend on signals penetrating the ionosphere, the geomagnetic disturbance scientists are expecting could affect that critical technology used by planes, ocean-going vessels, and in the agriculture and oil and gas industries. The typical effects of the storm are reduced location accuracy or completely cutting out the GPS location service for some time.

Solar storm managed to shut down farm equipment across US and Canada last weekend. And as the New York Times reports, the storm was particularly devastating for farmers in the US and Canada, whose tractors and other equipment broke down in the middle of planting season — a fascinating and rare example of just how fearsome space weather can become despite our planet’s protective shell. Farm equipment company John Deere’s “StarFire” receivers that combine GPS with other sensor data were hit particularly hard. Tractors that rely on GPS and other navigation tech shut down after the Sun’s ferocious storm, with seed-sowing operations grinding to a halt.

The ionosphere changes could affect shortwave radio transmissions used by ships and aircraft, emergency management agencies, the military and even ham radio operators, all of whom rely on the high frequency radio airwaves. Nothing very serious was reported in the news on those services.

Consumer wireless networks rely on different radio frequencies than the high frequency band, so it appears unlikely that the storm will directly affect cellular service. The impact to cell phones this weekend seemed to have been slim to none. As long as the underlying electrical infrastructure that supports wireless networks remains unaffected, the wireless networks work. The GPS features on your phone also typically use a mix of pure GPS and cellular tower-based location tracking, so even if GPS signals are disrupted, phone users may still be able to maintain a rough location fix.

It was expected that the power grid was potentially at risk. Severe space weather can jeopardize power grids, according to NOAA, whose alert this week said to expect “possible widespread voltage control problems” and that “some protective systems may mistakenly trip out key assets from the power grid.” With a G5 storm, complete blackouts and power grid collapses are possible. A blackout of the electrical grid could have cascading effects for communications and other technologies, including cellphones and the data centers that host websites. Redundancy and resiliency are watchwords of all critical infrastructure providers, so many operators have arranged backup power for essential functions.

Here is the mechanism that causes problems to electrical power grid: These solar caused plasma waves hit the Earth’s magnetic field and compress it, like a balloon that you squeeze with your hands. These magnetic field changes lead to the induction of an electric field in the ground. “This electric field causes currents in our high-voltage lines. These unwanted currents have a negative impact on our energy supply.” “Transformers in particular are adversely affected by low-frequency currents generated by changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. That can lead to big problems.” The way the electrical network is built can affect how much those low frequency magnetic fields can affect it and the used protection systems can affect if critical components can be disconnected before major failures. When protection system work correctly, it can cause short outages. Network operators have strategies for how they proceed in the event of an outage in order to restore supply as quickly and safely as possible. The modern electrical power networks management and remote controlling nowadays uses a lot of communications and networking technology, and if those networks do not work well during the solar event, that can cause delays in restoring power when it gets cut out.

There are examples what could happen: In 1989, a space weather event led to a massive blackout in Quebec, Canada for more than nine hours after geomagnetic fluctuations damaged transformers and other important equipment. In October, an extreme geomagnetic storm stronger than the one predicted for this weekend led to power outages in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa, the SWPC said. In Malmö, for example, in 2003, where solar storms caused a large-scale outage.

This time here were some preliminary indications of irregularities in power systems, but no reports of any major damage. Maybe the power companies were well prepared and/or we were lucky.

Sources:
https://www.epanorama.net/newepa/2022/02/09/space-weather-issues-to-satellites/
https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/rare-severe-solar-storm-northern-lights-alabama
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/10/business/sunspots-disrupt-phones-gps-scn/index.html
https://www.iltalehti.fi/saauutiset/a/349a720d-a0dc-4955-9655-65c10a8a73b9
https://www.astronomy.com/science/a-large-solar-storm-could-knock-out-the-internet-and-power-grid-an-electrical-engineer-explains-how/
https://apnews.com/article/solar-storm-northern-lights-power-grid-disruption-eb7fabd1dfbd734a398192bf4c701ca5
https://futurism.com/the-byte/massive-solar-storm-trigger-lights-across-north-america
https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/05/11/the-huge-solar-storm-keeping-power-grid-and-satellite-operators-on-edge
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1250515730/solar-storm-geomagnetic-g4
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/severe-geomagnetic-storm-watch-issued-unusual-solar-event/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event
https://www.iltalehti.fi/ulkomaat/a/07d56936-09f4-4410-834f-646b5f7fb634
https://futurism.com/the-byte/solar-storm-shut-down-farm-equipment
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/solar-radiation-storm
https://www.tugraz.at/en/tu-graz/services/news-stories/planet-research/singleview/article/elektrische-netze-stuermische-gefahr-fuer-das-stromnetz0
https://www.kxan.com/news/national-news/what-is-a-g5-geomagnetic-storm/?ipid=promo-link-block1
https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/how-severe-solar-storms-hitting-earth-could-disrupt-communication-lead-to-blackouts-13769676.html
https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/geomagnetic-solar-storm-health-effects-19451411.php
https://solar-center.stanford.edu/FAQ/Qflaredest.html

Laser and light communications news

Tomi Engdahl — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 11:53:32 +0000

Light communications is hot in news now. Here are few headlines:

LiFi 802.11bb standard uses light for in-room data transmission up to 224GB/s
https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/07/14/lifi-802-11bb-wifi-standard-uses-light-for-in-room-data-transmission-up-to-224gb-s/
The 802.11bb WiFi-like standard, also called LiFi, was ratified in June 2023. It enables data transmission up to 224GB/s at a few meters range within a room using light instead of RF signals used in most other wireless standards

https://www.facebook.com/100063998805272/posts/pfbid0Dq8BBgTkxL91LjcFD6WR9YSU6SMwF96ZBKNfk7UMqD7CnSyV6GaCQMtZJRwEQhBhl/
The LiFi (802.11bb) standard has just been ratified. It uses light for private, high-speed data connectivity within a room and works like WiFi from the end-user perspective. #wireless #technology #innovation

POSTED ONJULY 14, 2023 BY JEAN-LUC AUFRANC (CNXSOFT) - NO COMMENTSON LIFI 802.11BB STANDARD USES LIGHT FOR IN-ROOM DATA TRANSMISSION UP TO 224GB/S

LiFi 802.11bb standard uses light for in-room data transmission up to 224GB/s

The 802.11bb WiFi-like standard, also called LiFi, was ratified in June 2023. It enables data transmission up to 224GB/s at a few meters range within a room using light instead of RF signals used in most other wireless standards.

The technology has been worked on for many years, and we first covered (a version of) LiFi in 2014 that was still part of the IEEE 802.15 standard with speeds up to 1 Gbps. But the Light Communications 802.11bb Task Group was only formed in 2018 chaired by pureLiFi and supported by Fraunhofer HHI, and led to be ratification of the IEEE 802.11bb standard last month.

https://www.cnx-software.com/2023/07/14/lifi-802-11bb-wifi-standard-uses-light-for-in-room-data-transmission-up-to-224gb-s/?fbclid=IwAR3-k5HAxyGO2J2FGYhNggXNWd0a8_BZ20UhgELxKHPUignVle9MA7-nrik

100x Faster Than Wi-Fi: Li-Fi, Light-Based Networking Standard Released
By Mark Tyson published 1 day ago
Proponents boast that 802.11bb is 100 times faster than Wi-Fi and more secure
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/li-fi-standard-released

LiFi specification released, enabling wide adoption of light-based wireless internet
Secure wireless speeds of up to 224GB/s through LED lights, cutting down on spectrum congestion
https://www.techspot.com/news/99377-lifi-specification-standards-released-enabling-wide-adoption-light.html

Laser Communications Relay Demonstration
TOPIC:
LASER COMMUNICATIONS
R&D AREA:
Communication Systems
R&D GROUP:
Advanced Lasercom Systems and OperationsOptical and Quantum Communications Technology
Optical communications technologies decades in the making at Lincoln Laboratory were transferred to NASA for its first two-way laser relay communications system.
https://www.ll.mit.edu/r-d/projects/laser-communications-relay-demonstration

4G on the moon soon

Tomi Engdahl — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 21:06:34 +0000

Can terrestrial networks can meet the communications needs of future space missions? Maybe.
Nokia is planning to launch 4G internet on the moon later this year, an executive for the company said.
It will be used within Nasa’s Artemis 1 mission, which aims to establish a human presence on the moon again (last time was 1972).
The aim is to show that terrestrial networks can meet the communications needs of future space missions.

Nokia is selected by Vodafone to be its technology partner for Mission to the Moon project.
NASA will fund a project by Nokia to build a 4G cellular communication network on the moon with $14.1 million.
The network will configure itself and establish a 4G/LTE communications system on the moon.
An LTE connection will be established between the lander and the rover.
Vodafone 4G network will enable first live-streaming of HD video from the Moon’s surface to a global audience.

The Finnish telecommunications group plans to launch the network on a SpaceX rocket over the coming months.
Intuitive Machines plans to deliver the equipment to the moon on their lunar lander.
The network will be powered by an antenna-equipped base station stored in a Nova-C lunar lander designed by U.S. space firm Intuitive Machines, as well as by an accompanying solar-powered rover. Nokia says the technology is designed to withstand the extreme conditions of space.

Sources and links to more information:

4G internet is set to arrive on the moon later this year
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/28/nokia-set-to-launch-4g-internet-on-the-moon-later-this-year.html

NASA is launching a 4G phone network on the moon
Nokia’s lunar LTE network will allow astronauts to make calls, stream data and remote control robots.
https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-is-launching-a-4g-phone-network-on-the-moon/

Nokia has aimed to moon for few years
https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2018/02/27/nokia-is-selected-by-vodafone-to-be-its-technology-partner-for-mission-to-the-moon-project/

Got any signal up here? Nokia to build mobile network on the moon
https://www.reuters.com/article/nokia-nasa-moon-idUSKBN2741JR

NASA funds Nokia plan to provide cellular service on moon
https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2020/10/15/NASA-funds-Nokia-plan-to-provide-cellular-service-on-moon/2001602710195
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/solicitations/tipping_points/2020_selections

James Webb telescope

Tomi Engdahl — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 09:09:41 +0000

The American space agency has achieved a major milestone in its preparation of the new James Webb Space Telescope. James Webb telescope mirror alignments has been finished, and the results are exceeding expectations. Still some work to go before actual science operation can start.

NASA’s Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics Working Successfully
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully

James Webb: ‘Fully focused’ telescope beats expectations
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60771210

Unusual aircraft GPS interference

Tomi Engdahl — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 21:21:56 +0000

Finland’s Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom, has issued a public announcement informing of an unusual spike in GPS interference near the country’s eastern border.
According to reports, the interference isn’t limited to Finland but also affects Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and the broader Baltic region.

This spoofing is relatively easy because the actual GPS signal is weak. There are very cheap short distancr GPS jammers. The cheapest equipment required to perform GPS spoofing attacks costs a couple of hundred USD (for example HackRF One and computer), while the software to simulate realistic GPS satellite radio signals is generally widely available. Please note that disturbing GPS signals is illegal in very many countries.

Reas more:
Finnish govt agency warns of unusual aircraft GPS interference
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/finnish-govt-agency-warns-of-unusual-aircraft-gps-interference/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/majordomo/permalink/10162357184499522/

Rocket hits the moon

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 18:35:20 +0000

Deep space tracking is hard and mistakes happen. It seems that SpaceX rocket does not yet get to hit the moon soon as earlier expected. Ironically, it now appears that the off the course object comes from a Chinese mission to return a sample of lunar rock to help scientists understand why the Moon is so heavily cratered. Soon they might have a new crater to the moon to research.

James Webb Telescope

Tomi Engdahl — Mon, 14 Feb 2022 19:52:17 +0000

James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led development of the telescope[8] in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

The good space news has been that the the James Webb Space Telescope is proceeding according to schedule. NASA is now aligning the telescope.

The alignment process is complex, and it required operators to start gathering the first of many photons the telescope will see over the next couple of decades. The video below is a fascinating look at the alignment process, which is needed to move the 18 separate hexagonal mirror segments into a single optical surface. This amazing telescope has not only spread its wings, but it has now opened its eyes.

How James Webb’s Mirrors MUST Work

Photons Incoming: Webb Team Begins Aligning the Telescope
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/02/03/photons-incoming-webb-team-begins-aligning-the-telescope/

Working Model Reveals Amazing Engineering Of Webb’s Mirror Actuators
https://hackaday.com/2022/02/08/working-model-reveals-amazing-engineering-of-webbs-mirror-actuators/

NASA unveils the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images
The first step in a long process of aligning the telescope’s mirrors
https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/11/22929054/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-first-images

Photons Received: Webb Sees Its First Star – 18 Times
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/02/11/photons-received-webb-sees-its-first-star-18-times/

The James Webb Space Telescope’s first images have scientists excited (and a bit relieved)
https://www.space.com/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-first-images-excitement

Space weather issues to satellites

Tomi Engdahl — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 20:35:31 +0000

Space had too harsh weather conditions for recent Starlink communications satellite update.

40 Starlink satellites doomed: SpaceX reported last night that 40 of the 49 Starlink satellites launched to low Earth orbit on February 3 are now doomed by a geomagnetic storm. SpaceX said: “The satellites deployed on Thursday were significantly impacted by a geomagnetic storm on Friday … Preliminary analyses show the increased drag at the low altitudes prevented the satellites from leaving safe-mode to begin orbit raising maneuvers … up to 40 of the satellites will reenter or already have reentered the Earth’s atmosphere.” It seems that those 40 satellites are burning up on re-entry.

Preliminary analysis show the increased drag at the low altitudes prevented the satellites from leaving safe-mode to begin orbit raising maneuvers, and up to 40 of the satellites will reenter or already have reentered the Earth’s atmosphere. The deorbiting satellites pose zero collision risk with other satellites and by design demise upon atmospheric reentry—meaning no orbital debris is created and no satellite parts hit the ground.

SpaceX has launched more than 2,000 Starlink satellites since 2018, and has plans to launch a total of at least 12,000 as part of a plan to offer high-speed satellite internet across the globe.

Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/02/09/at-least-40-starlink-satellites-launched-by-spacex-last-week-have-been-destroyed-by-geomagnetic-storm/
https://earthsky.org/space/40-starlink-satellites-doomed-by-geomagnetic-storm/
https://www.spacex.com/updates/

A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth. These storms result from variations in the solar wind that produces major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere. During storms, the currents in the ionosphere, as well as the energetic particles that precipitate into the ionosphere add energy in the form of heat that can increase the density and distribution of density in the upper atmosphere, causing extra drag on satellites in low-earth orbit. A geomagnetic storm can also modify the path of radio signals and create errors in the positioning information provided by GPS and disturb other satellite communications. A very strong geomagnetic storm can also cause problems to electrical power distribution networks because of the (nearly direct) currents induced in the power transmission lines from geomagnetic storms can be harmful to electrical transmission equipment, especially transformers.

Wooden satellite from Finland

Tomi Engdahl — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 14:02:36 +0000

World’s first wooden satellite slated for launch in Finland. UPM Plywood, Arctic Astronautics and Huld announce today a joint mission to launch the first ever wooden satellite, WISA Woodsat, into Earth’s orbit by the end of 2021.

The satellite electronics is mostly based on Kitsat that is a fully functional one unit CubeSat (roughly 10 x 10 x 10 cm), specifically made for educational use with earthly components.

The satellite has a built-in selfie-stick.

More info:

https://arcticastronautics.fi/2021-04_worlds-first-wooden-satellite-slated-launch-upm-partners-finnish-space-companies-arctic

https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2021/04/12/aprillipaiva-meni-jo-suomalainen-puusatelliitti-olikin-totta/

https://arcticastronautics.fi/what_is_kitsat

https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2016/03/04/two-new-satellites-from-finland/

Earth’s magnetic field is changing

Tomi Engdahl — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 11:24:56 +0000

It seems that Earth’s magnetic field is weakening and changing at the moment. The magnetic North is moving towards Siberia and South Atlantic Anomaly weakening the Earth’s magnetic field. There is some fear that the weakening is causing technical problems for satellites and could have other effects.

Here are some links to news on this topic:

Our Magnetic Field Is Acting Sketchy Again
Why is it so weak in the South Atlantic, and should we be worried
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a32702425/magnetic-field-anomaly/

South Atlantic Anomaly weakening the Earth’s magnetic field can be seen expanding further
https://m.republicworld.com/technology-news/science/earths-magnetic-field-weakening-earth-news-planet-earth-esa-news.html

EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD IS MYSTERIOUSLY WEAKENING, CAUSING SATELLITES AND SPACECRAFT TO MALFUNCTION
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/earth-magnetic-field-satellites-space-a9528571.html

SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT EARTH’S WEAKENING MAGNETIC FIELD; SWARM SATELLITES TO INVESTIGATE
Earth’s magnetic field has been weakening across a wide stretch of area for reasons unknown. Scientists have found the magnetic field from Africa to South America to be gradually weakening.
https://www.firstpost.com/tech/science/scientists-worried-over-earths-weakening-magnetic-field-swarm-satellites-to-investigate-8400551.html

Earth’s magnetic field is weakening, which could affect satellites and spacecraft, caution scientists
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/earths-magnetic-field-is-weakening-which-could-affect-satellites-and-spacecraft-caution-scientists/article31668293.ece
The magnetic field of the Earth between Africa and South America is weakening, causing problems for satellites and spacecraft.
The phenomenon has been dubbed as the South Atlantic Anomaly by scientists, who’ve been studying the occurrence, which has grown considerably in recent years.
The data gathered by the European Space Agency’s swarm of satellites reveals that the area of the anomaly dropped in strength by over 8 per cent between 1970 and 2020.
One of the possible explanations for this could be a shift in the Earth’s magnetic field, whereby the North Pole and the South Pole switch places as the field reverses.
This reversal last happened 7.8 lakh years ago, with scientists believing that a shift is long overdue. These reversals usually happen at an interval of 250,000 years.

If a reversal takes place, the repercussions could be significant and could cause major issues for telecommunications and satellite systems.
https://m.republicworld.com/technology-news/science/earths-magnetic-field-is-weakening-reveal-esa-scientists-in-lockdown.html
Satellites and spacecraft malfunction as Earth’s magnetic field mysteriously weakens
Scientists are finding that the weakening is causing technical problems for satellites, and seems to be growing in its effects.

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/earths-magnetic-field-which-protects-us-from-solar-radiation-is-mysteriously-weakening-11992022

Pole shift: The magnetic North is moving towards Siberia and scientists may know why
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1282915/Pole-shift-magnetic-north-moving-Siberia-magnetic-blobs/amp
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/earth-magnetic-field-satellites-space-a9528571.html

A possible explanation for the Earth’s North magnetic pole moving toward Russia
https://phys.org/news/2020-05-explanation-earth-north-magnetic-pole.html
A trio of researchers, two with the University of Leeds, the other the Technical University of Denmark, has developed a theory to explain why Earth’s north magnetic pole has been drifting from Canada to Russia.

Swarm probes weakening of Earth’s magnetic field
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Swarm/Swarm_probes_weakening_of_Earth_s_magnetic_field
https://www.tiede.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/magneettikentta-hiipuu-nyt-afrikan-lahella