Sun Activity and Earth

May 12, 2026, 13:22
AfricaScience

Introduction

The sun had a medium flare. This can stop radio signals and make colorful lights in the sky.

Main Body

A big flash of light came from the sun. This flash stopped radio signals over the Atlantic Ocean and Africa. Ships and planes could not talk for a short time. Some hot gas also moved from the sun toward Earth. This gas might cause a small storm in space. This storm can sometimes hurt satellites or power lines, but experts say it is not a big problem. Solar particles hit the air. This makes the Northern Lights. People in northern Scotland might see these lights if the sky is clear. This happens because the sun is very active now.

Conclusion

The space storm is small. It will not hurt important machines.

Learning

💡 The "Can/Could" Logic

In this story, we see how to talk about possibility and ability. This is a key step for A2 learners.

1. Present Possibility (CAN) Use can for things that are possible now or generally.

  • "This can stop radio signals" → It is possible for this to happen.
  • "This storm can sometimes hurt satellites" → It is a known possibility.

2. Past Ability (COULD NOT) Use could not (or couldn't) when something was impossible in the past.

  • "Ships and planes could not talk" → At that specific time in the past, they lacked the ability to communicate.

Quick Guide: Movement of Meaning

Can (Now/General) →\rightarrow Could (Past)

Example from text:

  • Current state: The sun is active →\rightarrow It can make lights.
  • Past event: The flash happened →\rightarrow Planes could not talk.

Vocabulary Learning

sun
the star that gives light and heat to Earth
Example:The sun is very hot.
radio
a way of sending information using waves
Example:We listen to music on the radio.
signals
messages that travel through radio waves
Example:The radio signals were weak.
big
large in size or amount
Example:She bought a big house.
flash
a sudden bright light
Example:The flash of the camera startled the cat.
ships
large boats that travel on water
Example:The ships sailed across the ocean.
planes
aircraft that fly
Example:The planes flew over the mountains.
talk
to communicate with someone
Example:We will talk about the plan later.
short
not lasting a long time
Example:The movie was very short.
gas
a substance that is not solid or liquid
Example:The gas in the balloon made it float.