Uploaded March 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
WASHINGTON — The sun is getting violent, and shooting massive balls of energy into space. If any of these energy bombs hit Earth, humanity’s satellites and electrical systems will fry and burn out. Here are the details:
ScienceAlert reports that the Sun has been going through a rare period of explosive activity. The most violent moment happened on Tuesday, February 15, when the largest solar eruption in decades shot out of the Sun.
Luckily, that huge eruption happened on the far side of the Sun, so Earth has been spared its devastating impact.
Another lucky fact is that a large number of other recent coronal mass ejections have also exploded from the same area on the far side of the Sun.
However, as the Sun rotates on its own axis, it is quite possible that it might soon be firing a powerful broadside directly into Earth’s path.
If such a powerful electromagnetic storm were to hit Earth, it would cause massive damage to satellites and even fry the vital electronics built into undersea Internet cables.
Scientists say the Sun goes through an 11-year cycle of energy ejection activity.
The last time this activity was at its minimum was during the solar minimum of December 2019, with the next solar maximum expected to reach its peak around July 2025.
The Carrington Event of 1859 was caused by a major solar flare that impacted Earth and knocked out all telegraphs. It also caused the night sky to glow eerily for days on end. A similar event today would knock out most forms of electronic communication, including the Internet.
WASHINGTON — The sun is getting violent, and shooting massive balls of energy into space. If any of these energy bombs hit Earth, humanity’s satellites and electrical systems will fry and burn out. Here are the details:
ScienceAlert reports that the Sun has been going through a rare period of explosive activity. The most violent moment happened on Tuesday, February 15, when the largest solar eruption in decades shot out of the Sun.
Luckily, that huge eruption happened on the far side of the Sun, so Earth has been spared its devastating impact.
Another lucky fact is that a large number of other recent coronal mass ejections have also exploded from the same area on the far side of the Sun.
However, as the Sun rotates on its own axis, it is quite possible that it might soon be firing a powerful broadside directly into Earth’s path.
If such a powerful electromagnetic storm were to hit Earth, it would cause massive damage to satellites and even fry the vital electronics built into undersea Internet cables.
Scientists say the Sun goes through an 11-year cycle of energy ejection activity.
The last time this activity was at its minimum was during the solar minimum of December 2019, with the next solar maximum expected to reach its peak around July 2025.
The Carrington Event of 1859 was caused by a major solar flare that impacted Earth and knocked out all telegraphs. It also caused the night sky to glow eerily for days on end. A similar event today would knock out most forms of electronic communication, including the Internet.
