Solar superstorm warning
A once-in-a-century "solar superstorm" could hit the earth in the near future, causing black-outs, and a loss in satellite communications, scientists have warned.
'Solar-superstorm': What would happen?
- One in ten orbiting satellites could be knocked out for days during a superstorm event
- Any that keep orbiting, could 'age', meaning they would need to be replaced
- GPS signals would be interrupted one to three days after the storm hit as satellite transmissions to the ground are disrupted
- Navigating officers in aircraft and ships would temporarily have to revert to old-fashioned "dead reckoning"
- Energetic particles from the blast could interfere with aircraft electronics
- A superstorm could end large induced currents through the electricity grid network, potentially causing blackouts
- For passengers on high flying aircraft, a superstorm would deliver a radiation dose equivalent to three CT scans, although below harmful levels, astronauts would be at risk
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