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Solar maximum will arrive sooner and last longer than previously expected, say scientists | Space

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Solar maximum will arrive sooner and last longer than previously expected, say scientists | Space

Space weather is a threat that people really don't give a lot of thought about, but a very severe solar storm could be incredibly disruptive to society, requiring extreme measures like temporarily shutting down the nation's power plants, taking all vehicles off the road, and the loss of all radio and other communications.

The good news is they have pretty good monitoring of solar weather and we'd have several hours to days to prepare, the bad news is that it could send lightening bolts out of power lines across the world, fry billions of dollars of equipment -- especially large power transformers not physically disconnected from the power grid.

I am not sure how bad it would be for smaller, unplugged electronic devices, as their coils probably wouldn't induce much current as they are relatively small, but it's bad news for utilities.

Of course, that's only in cases of very severe solar weather like last happened in 1859. But it could really mess up 2024 for a lot of people, if the world gets hit hard by a Carrington Event.

NPR

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The northern lights are coming to several states this week. Here’s how to watch : NPR

The northern lights are expected to be visible across several U.S. states this week, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the Kp-index, or planetary index, will be at five and six, respectively. The scale goes all the way up to nine, and any occurrence above five is considered a geomagnetic storm.

The aurora borealis could be seen across parts of Washington, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Maine, according to the university.

When will the sun die? | Space

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When will the sun die? | Space

If you worry about when the sun will die, never fear: that moment is billions of years away.

The sun gives energy to life on Earth, and without this star, we wouldn't be here. But even stars have limited lifetimes, and someday our sun will die.

You don't need to worry about this solar death anytime soon, though. Like all stars, a churning fusion engine fuels the sun, and it still has a lot of fuel left — about 5 billion years' worth.