Solar storms: EU funding for Graz researchers

The EU sponsorship award, which goes to the Space Research Institute of the Academy of Sciences in Graz, is worth about two million euros.

Top league in astrophysics

Accordingly, Christian Mostel, project manager and Sunstorm Chaser, is excited that they were able to beat 300 European research projects: “I knew the project was very good and I thought I had a chance. But the level is incredibly high. The eleven people who get On this every year they are in the league of the best European astrophysicists. I still can’t believe I’m with them.”

Expect solar storms a few hours in advance

With the help of new space probes and the use of artificial intelligence, work will be carried out in Graz from the fall on being able to predict solar storms for as many hours as possible before they hit Earth – more on this in Early Warning System Graz for solar storms (02/15/2022).

“This particular connection, that not only are we saying we’re doing the 100th research project on solar storms with the new data from this space probe, but we really want to know now if that’s possible, and that it can really be done in time, and I’m saying to people: OK, get out Today and look at the aurora borealis — or there will be a massive blackout.”

The northern lights are also possible with us soon

The increased solar activity in the next few years should make the northern lights more visible in our latitudes. Blackouts are only caused by very strong solar activity, but moderately strong events can disrupt radio traffic very quickly, for example. The project is scheduled to run for five years – by that time at the latest, models for calculating solar storm forecasts should come from Graz.