solar storm

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Solar Storm No Biggie, but Brace Yourself...

...because more are expected as sun nears peak of 11-year cycle

(Newser) - Turns out space weather forecasts can be as unreliable as terrestrial ones. The solar storm that hit us yesterday was much weaker than expected, and the world's power grids, satellites, and telecommunication systems did not experience problems. "I think we just lucked out," the director of Boston...

Solar Storm 'Hitting Us in Nose'

Storm slammed into Earth this morning, could cause disruptions

(Newser) - While most of us were busily counting sheep or howling at the nearly-full moon last night, plasma and charged particles produced by Tuesday night's massive solar flares were hurtling toward the planet at 4 million mph, reports Space.com . This material, the largest coronal mass ejection (CME) in five...

Scientists Warn of 'Catastrophic' Solar Storm

1 in 8 chance of destructive megaflare by 2020

(Newser) - Prepare yourself for yet another potential disaster. Scientists are warning that we face a one-in-eight chance of a massive "catastrophic" solar storm by the year 2020. A colossal "megaflare" from the surface of the sun could cause trillions of dollars in damage to electrical systems, and could take...

Vast Solar Storm Flings Plasma Toward Earth

Some flights grounded as a precaution

(Newser) - A stream of charged plasma is headed toward Earth today, thanks to the biggest solar storm since 2005. The storm poses a small, manageable threat to satellites, power grids, and other high-tech hardware, and could cause some spectacular displays of light and color, the LA Times reports. The National Oceanic...

PHOTOS: Northern Lights: Auroras Light Up Northern Skies
 Auroras Sweep Northern Skies 
Jan 23, 2012 4:00 AM CST

Auroras Sweep Northern Skies

Solar flares hit the Earth's atmosphere, creating amazing light shows

(Newser) - As predicted last week , a solar storm that swept through the Earth's magnetic field created some incredible northern lights displays, with fantastic auroras lighting the skies from Canada to Norway, reports MSNBC . In addition to MSNBC's collection of photos and videos, you can see more photos at...

Northern Lights Seen in Deep South

People as far south as Atlanta spot aurora borealis

(Newser) - The Deep South isn’t exactly the place you think of when you hear “northern lights.” But the aurora borealis was in fact visible from Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Atlanta last night, hundreds of miles farther south than is typical. "A storm on the sun's surface...

Solar Storm Boosting Northern Lights

Display could be visible as far south as Colorado

(Newser) - Bad news for telecommunications, good news for skywatchers: The sun is entering a busy period of its 11-year cycle, and solar flares are expect to affect the earth for the next several years, making the Northern Lights more spectacular and visible further south. A geomagnetic storm currently in progress is...

Solar Storm to Hit Earth This Week

Could impact communications, GPS

(Newser) - If your GPS stops working in the next few days, blame solar storms. Following three large explosions from the sun recently, US government scientists are expecting a larger solar event this week—and warn that satellite, telecommunications, and electric equipment, including GPS, could be disrupted. "The magnetic storm that...

Space Weather: Solar Storms Can Be Disastrous, Scientists Write
 Beware of 'Space Weather' 
opinion
Jun 17, 2011 3:19 PM CDT

Beware of 'Space Weather'

Solar storms can be disastrous—but we can protect ourselves

(Newser) - It’s not just the weather on Earth we need to worry about—there are storms in space, too, and they can pose a serious threat if we’re not prepared. Recent years have been quiet around the sun, but it’s about to reach the height of its magnetic...

Dramatic Solar Flare Could Mess With Things

It unleashed biggest firestorm of radiation in 5 years

(Newser) - The sun let loose a fiery explosion yesterday that could mess with GPS and communication satellites, power grids, and more, the National Weather Service warned today. “This one was rather dramatic,” an official from the NWS’ Space Weather Prediction Center tells the Telegraph . "We saw the initial...

Solar Storms Could Produce 'Global Katrina'
 Solar Storms 
 Could Produce 
 'Global Katrina' 
in case you missed it
Feb 26, 2011 7:30 AM CST

Solar Storms Could Produce 'Global Katrina'

Solar flare could knock out GPS, other satellites, scientists warn

(Newser) - There’s a very good chance that sometime in the not-so-distant future, a severe solar storm could unleash an electromagnetic pulse on Earth, knocking out satellites, grounding air travel, and disrupting power grids around the world, scientists warned at an American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. The UK’...

'Solar Katrina' Could Blindside Us
 'Solar Katrina' 
 Could Blindside Us 
OPINION
Aug 17, 2010 12:05 AM CDT

'Solar Katrina' Could Blindside Us

Senate needs to act to protect power grid

(Newser) - America is woefully underprepared for a looming natural disaster with the potential to be much worse than Hurricane Katrina, warns disaster expert Lawrence E. Joseph. Scientists believe a solar storm of a size not seen since 1921 is likely to hit the earth after solar activity picks up in 2012,...

'Solar Tsunami' Hits Earth Today

Wave of plasma expected to produce spectacular light show

(Newser) - Two massive explosions on the sun have sent a wave of supercharged gas racing toward Earth, but people should expect an amazing light show instead of fiery doom, NASA says. The "solar tsunami" probably won't be strong enough to knock out telecommunications equipment, but the plasma is likely to...

NASA: Get Ready for Space Storm Havoc

Sun is 'waking from deep slumber'

(Newser) - There's stormy weather ahead for the sun and that spells trouble for 21st-century society, NASA scientists say. The sun will wake "from a deep slumber" and enter a period of increased activity sometime around 2013, hitting the Earth with magnetic energy that has the potential to disrupt everything from...

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