America’s current plans for human space exploration seem horribly slow, considering we won’t leave Earth’s orbit until 2025 and won’t reach Mars until 2035. Worse than that, solar radiation spikes could keep us grounded for decades more. The Sun emits a steady stream of potentially deadly cosmic radiation. As long as humans remain within the…
One of the biggest solar flares in months is exploding from the surface of our sun this week. It’s right at the center of a roiling filament of magnetism. According to NASA, flares from sunspot 1112 haven’t gotten big enough to be worrying. The agency describes what you’re seeing in this closeup of the spot:…
We’ve long seen the results of solar flares on Earth, but haven’t been able to predict when they’ll strike next. New research released last week has given us a better understanding of solar weather. The massive, looping jets of superheated gas that erupt from the sun are driven by giant magnetic structures that extend out…
A giant solar flare hits the Earth and decimates the entire Eastern hemisphere, killing millions of people and mutating others into hideous creatures. Would you run for the hills or start trying to save the world’s greatest art treasures? Most people would probably be busy building a seriously badass underground bunker rather than thinking about…