First-of-its-kind AI can predict violent solar flares hours before they erupt, scientists say
Now AI can predict violent solar flares
- Nasa and IBM have developed a pioneering artificial intelligence system, Surya Heliophysics Foundational Model, capable of predicting violent solar storms two hours before they erupt from the Sun.
- The AI system was trained using nearly a decade of observations from Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, enabling it to detect subtle patterns in solar behaviour.
- These powerful solar storms pose significant threats, potentially causing GPS errors, satellite communication signal loss, and disruptions to power grids on Earth.
- The new model aims to provide crucial early warnings to satellite operators and help scientists understand how solar radiation affects Earth’s upper atmosphere, enhancing space weather defence.
- Named Surya, Sanskrit for the Sun, the open-access system is now available for researchers globally, setting a new benchmark in AI-driven space weather prediction.