Earth under solar storm warning, vital technology at risk of failure

Earth's magnetosphere is a layer around the globe that protects us from solar particles that are emitted from the Sun.

Last Sunday, the Sun emitted a coronal mass ejection (CME) that is plasma flown into the solar wind. This CME from the Sun is on track to hit Earth, and even though we have our magnetosphere, the CME has a chance of causing some disruptions across the planet. The CME may cause "widespread voltage control problems", and depending on how long it lasts, may cause transformer damage.

On a positive note, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who issued the warning, said, "The transient solar wind feature is expected to cause auroral enhancements that may be visible at night in the higher latitudes under favorable sky conditions." The NOAA also noted that the solar storm can also affect navigation systems such as the Global Navigation Satellite System and "create harmful geomagnetic induced currents (GICs) in the power grid and pipelines."

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