Earth could suffer the worst solar storm in 165 years as six streams of plasma that erupted from the sun this week are set to make crash into our atmosphere tonight.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed today that the worst-case scenario would be what happened during the 1859 Carrington event, which set telegraph stations on fire, cutting communications worldwide.
In our modern-day society, a geomagnetic storm of that magnitude could cause widespread electrical disruptions, blackouts and damage to critical infrastructure.
The event could also trigger magnificent nighttime auroras, or the northern lights, which will be visible in the US starting around 11pm ET and lasting through Saturday.
Scientists will know how severe the storm will be at around around 8 pm ET when the explosions of plasma racing through space will be nearly one million miles from our planet – and NOAA plans to issue alerts immediately.
Article provides a good, clear explanation. ABN