NASA Tracks 19-Day Solar Radio Burst as 3 CMEs Fuel Record Event
Updated
Updated · Science@NASA · May 14
NASA Tracks 19-Day Solar Radio Burst as 3 CMEs Fuel Record Event
3 articles · Updated · Science@NASA · May 14
A solar Type IV radio burst first seen in August 2025 lasted 19 days, shattering the previous five-day record and giving NASA an unusually long event to track.
Data from STEREO, Parker Solar Probe, Wind, and ESA-NASA Solar Orbiter linked the burst to a helmet streamer, with scientists concluding three coronal mass ejections from the same region likely sustained it.
The Sun’s rotation carried the source into view of different spacecraft across the inner solar system, letting each mission observe part of the same event over nearly three weeks.
The radio waves themselves were harmless, but the magnetic environment that produced them can also launch hazardous particles toward Earth that disrupt satellites and spacecraft.
The findings, published in Astrophysical Journal Letters, are expected to sharpen identification of solar radio bursts and improve space weather forecasting.
Last year’s 19-day solar storm defied our models. What other dangerous solar phenomena have we yet to imagine?
With solar activity increasing, is our critical infrastructure truly prepared for a multi-week space weather catastrophe?