Space weather dangerous July-23-2012

Given the Sun's rotational speed, if the CME had erupted nine days earlier the Earth would have been directly in its path. Once it reached our planet it would have taken out satellite communications systems, a big chunk of the GPS network, and possibly crashed power grids and computer systems down on the surface.

A new analysis of data from NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) by Chinese and Berkeley helioboffins shows that a July 232012 solar storm of unprecedented size would have wiped out global electronic systems if it had occurred just nine days earlier.

VIDEOLINK: http://youtu.be/vQvsFjse9yw

source:theregister.co.uk

Details study:

Observations of an extreme storm in interplanetary space caused by successive coronal mass ejections

• • Ying D. Liu,

  • Janet G. Luhmann,

  • Primož Kajdič,

  • Emilia K.J. Kilpua,

  • Noé Lugaz,

  • Nariaki V. Nitta,

  • Christian Möstl,

  • Benoit Lavraud,

  • Stuart D. Bale,

  • Charles J. Farrugia

• & Antoinette B. Galvin

source:nature.com