Decay detector gives solar flare alert
A new method predicts solar flares more than a day before they occur—protecting satellites, power grids, and astronauts from potentially dangerous radiation.
In 1859, a huge solar storm had telegraph wires glowing and an aurora borealis visible as far south as Cuba, says Purdue University physicist Ephraim Fischbach.
“Because we now have a sophisticated infrastructure of satellites, power grids, and all sort of electronic systems, a storm of this magnitude today would be catastrophic. Having a day and a half warning could be really helpful in averting the worst damage.”
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: NASA
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