Here’s where a massive solar storm could take down the US power grid - CNN
Recent research maps the potential impact of severe solar storms on the US power grid. The study follows the May 2024 Gannon storm, which highlighted vulnerabilities in modern satellite and GPS infrastructure.
Why it matters
Understanding solar storm risks is critical for national security and the stability of modern digital and electrical infrastructure.
The sun spews radiation and superheated ionized gas toward Earth. In May 2024, it put on its biggest show in more than two decades.
Shown here are powerful flares that disrupted radio signals on Earth and caused airplanes to reroute:
Solar particles jostled Earth’s magnetic field, creating beautiful auroras worldwide but also interrupting service from mapping and communications satellites.
New research answers the daunting question.
New research maps show where a severe solar storm could strike. See if your neighborhood would lose power.
Forecasters knew something unusual was hurtling toward Earth. Three days before a solar storm arrived on May 10, 2024, they watched as a dark knot on the sun — tangled magnetic field lines spanning 124,000 miles — took aim at the planet.
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