The “perfect solar storm” . According to a study by the University of Colorado, NASA and other universities, there is a 12% chance that the cloud from an extreme solar storm could fully reach our planet within 10 years. This same event occurred in 2012, but it did not reach us.
“If it had hit us, we would still be picking up the pieces,” says Daniel Baker, co-author of the study published in the journal Space Weather . In his article Baker described how a powerful coronal mass ejection passed through Earth’s orbit on July 23, 2012, but luckily Earth was not there at the time.
What is an extreme solar storm? They start with an explosion or solar flare in the magnetic canopy of a sunspot; Thus, extreme X-rays and ultraviolet radiation reach Earth at the speed of light, ionizing the upper layers of the atmosphere, causing GPS navigation errors and radio blackouts.
After this, energetic particles appear that can electrify satellites and damage their electronic components. Then the coronal mass ejection, with billion-ton clouds of magnetized plasma, could cause widespread blackouts, disabling any device that is plugged into the wall .
According to NASA calculations, the probability that a “perfect solar storm” will hit our planet within 10 years is 12% . “At first, I was quite surprised that the odds were so high, but the statistics seem correct. It’s a worrying number, “says Predictive Science physicist Pete Riley.
