The Solar Storm Threat and 2012

Nasa mission to unravel sun’s threat to Earth

NASA is to embark on one of its most ambitious missions in an attempt to unlock the secrets of the sun.

Following its launch in nine days’ time, the US space agency’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will spend five years in orbit trying to discover the causes of extreme solar activity, such as sun spots and solar winds and flares.

Scientists have long been aware that disturbances on the sun can trigger dangerous x-rays, charged particles and magnetic fields that can disrupt power supplies, communication signals and aircraft navigation systems on Earth.





2012 and Solar Maximum

In 2006, NASA published a report by Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research on what could be the most powerful solar storm since records began approximately four hundred years ago, scheduled to reach solar maximum in the year 2012. The geomagnetic storm that results during this time could itself become apocalyptic...

See all articles on The Coming Solar Storm.