Question

Scenario: A large solar event disrupted our satellites. Describe the name the solar event. How did it affect the satellites? What was the fallout from this event on Earth

* please give an accurate answer *

Answer 1

Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)

Explanation:

A large solar event that CAN disrupt our satellites, it is likely that you are describing a CME; a burst of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's corona. In short terms, it's bursts of electromagnetic pulses (EMP). During maximum solar activities, there are CMEs every day, during the minimum, there are about one every 5 days to a week.

Now, we don't feel a lot of the effect because that Earth's magnetic field protects us from these burst of high energy particles and waves. However, the Earth's magnetic field is only that strong, the strongest CME in recorded history if the Carrington Event of 1859, which reportedly had telegraphs catching fire when operated, bear in mind that this occurred when the electric industry was still in its infancy.

Depending on how badly the satellites are disrupted, the damage to Earth('s people) will vary.

If many satellites can still operate after the CME, electronics on Earth will be slightly damaged, but generally will not be very serious (but mass panic is expected for a few days). In another scenario, if satellites are severely damaged that they are rendered inoperable, the result would be catastrophic to mankind. The CME would shut down almost every kind of electricity-based instrument, your phone, laptop, TV, car, fridge, etc. Except for some vintage instruments or those protected by a Faraday cage.

It would be like a global nuclear fallout without the radioactive stuff and blast, just the EMP.