WHAT CAN SOLAR STORMS DO?
Solar flares and CMEs can wreak havoc with cell phones, radio relays, satellite links and power grids on Earth. In addition to their impact on communications and power on Earth, solar flares can pose radiation poisoning danger to astronauts in space. And CMEs can produce dazzling aurora — the northern or southern lights. If the magnetic field of the cloud points northward, the same as the Earth’s magnetic field, the effects are minimal. If the orientation is southward the effects are more dramatic and can cause severe geomagnetic storms. This particular solar cloud was extremely fast but was mostly pointed northward, minimizing its destructive power. PREVIOUS SOLAR FLARES One of the largest previous sunspots ever seen was on April 2, 2001 but the monster flare shot out away from Earth. A solar storm in March, 1989 knocked out the electrical system in all of Quebec and destroyed a large power transformer in New Jersey.
