-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightCold War Nuclear Explosions Freakishly Impacted Space Weather
The overdrawn game of nuclear chicken between the USSR and the United States—now known as the Cold War—lasted about 45 years. While neither superpower ever deployed nukes on each others’ soil, high-altitude bomb testing caused a kerfuffle in Earth’s atmosphere. Though the conflict has (thankfully) long since ended, newly declassified information suggests it might have … Continued
By Rae Paoletta -
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightSolar Storms Are Doing Something Weird to Our Atmosphere
Every once in a while our Sun gives off a tremendous belch of high energy particles. Called a coronal mass ejection (CME), these episodes can vary in intensity, but they can produce bursts of electrical charge when they interact with our upper atmosphere in a geomagnetic storm. In a strange twist, new research shows that … Continued
-
Tech News
These Ancient Texts Might Help Us Predict the Next Massive Solar Storm
Spotting the Northern Lights anywhere in the United States (except for Alaska and the Upper Midwest) would probably be one of most notable experiences in an American space fan’s life. Now imagine if it was China or Japan a thousand years ago and you didn’t know what caused these light shows. Odds are, you’d freak … Continued
-
Tech NewsWe Might Finally Have a Good Way to Predict Dangerous Space Weather
Space weather forecasting—predicting the kind of energetic particles the Sun will throw at us—is years behind weather forecsting here on Earth. As solar physicist Scott McIntosh put it, “Our current model of space weather forecasting is, ‘oh shit a sunspot happened eight minutes ago, now we have to figure out what’s going to happen.” It’s … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
New Space Weather Warning System Could Buy Astronauts Precious Extra Time
Space weather is dangerous. Rogue high-energy particles fired off by the Sun can damage radio communications and electronics (including voting machines) here on Earth. By altering their DNA, the radiation can also be a true health hazard to astronauts and even airplane pilots. NASA operates a slew of space weather prediction systems, but many have … Continued
-
SciencePhysics & Chemistry
Space Weather Can Alter Electronic Voting Machines
When all sources of errors have been ruled out and 4096 phony votes have still been given to a candidate, who do you blame? In some cases, these kinds of glitches may be coming from outer space, according to scientists who discussed this cosmic conundrum today at the annual meeting of American Association for the … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
A Monster Solar Storm Could Cost the US $40 Billion Daily
Our planet is due to be hit with a powerful solar storm, an event that happens about once every hundred years. New research shows that losses from the ensuing blackouts could total $41.5 billion per day in the US alone, including nearly $7 billion lost in trade. A study published in Space Weather shows that … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
It Rains Rubies and Sapphires on This Distant Jupiter-Like Planet
A Jupiter-like planet located 1,000 light-years from Earth is exhibiting some rather strange meteorological behavior. The clouds on this planet appear to be made from corundum—the same mineral that produces rubies and sapphires. Using the Kepler space telescope, astronomers from Warwick University have detected individual weather patterns on HAT-P-7b, a hot Jupiter that’s about 16 … Continued
-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightWe’ve Never Seen The Solar Wind Like This Before
Like an endless blaze roaring forth from the gates of hell, the solar wind is majestic, awe inspiring, and terrifying. The only proof you need that the Sun is the one and true master of our solar system is this never-before-seen view of a torrent of charged particles bursting out of our star’s corona. It’s … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
A Solar Flare Almost Sparked a Nuclear War in 1967
On May 23rd, 1967, the United States Air Force scrambled to ready nuclear missile-laden aircraft for deployment. Radar systems designed to detect incoming Soviet missiles had just been disrupted, in what the military perceived to be an act of war. But before any nukes were launched in retaliation, it seems Air Force command was told … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Jupiter’s Northern Lights Look Absolutely Incredible
If you want to see beautiful auroras, forget Alaska, Canada, and Iceland—check out Jupiter. At the gas giant’s north pole, the most powerful and luminous northern lights in the solar system shimmer and glow in an endless geomagnetic storm that’s larger than our entire planet. Jupiter’s glorious auroras—caused by the gas giant’s enormous magnetic field … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Astronomers Might Have Just Solved a Key Mystery About the Origin of Life
If a massive solar storm struck the Earth today, it could wipe out our technology and hurl us back to the dark ages. Lucky for us, events like this are quite rare. But four billion years ago, extreme space weather was probably the norm. And rather than bringing the apocalypse, it might have kickstarted life. … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
A Major Mystery About Earth’s Magnetic Field Has Just Been Solved
For the first time, physicists have observed a mysterious process called magnetic reconnection—wherein opposing magnetic field lines join up, releasing a tremendous burst of energy. The discovery, published today in Science, may help us unlock the secrets of space weather and learn about some of the weirdest, most magnetic objects in the universe. The magnetosphere, … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightThis Model of the Sun’s Magnetic Field Is Beautiful Insanity
A team of scientists has created a new, high-resolution model of the complex magnetic activity on the surface of the Sun. The result is as spellbinding as it is terrifying. Gaze into the roiling ball of plasma that supports everything you hold dear, and feel your sanity slip away. Astronomers have long known that there’s … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & Spaceflight
Something Weird and Amazing Is Happening at Jupiter’s North Pole
If you were soaring through Jupiter’s turbid skies wearing a pair of x-ray goggles, you might get lucky and witness something incredible. Brilliant flashes of light, more luminous and powerful than the Sun, occurring every 26 minutes and stretching as far as the eye can see. That’s the essence of a massive solar storm recently … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightThis Is the Space Weather New Horizons Had to Fly Through to Get To Pluto—And It’s Very Strange
New Horizons returned some amazingly detailed shots and data of Pluto over the course of its mission—but just what did it have to fly through to get there? So, so much. NASA put together this visualization of what the spacecraft encountered between January and August on its way to Pluto. The list includes a series … Continued
By Ria Misra -
Tech News
First Interstellar Weather Forecast: Gusty as Hell
Astronomers have measured and mapped a weather system on a planet outside our solar system for the first time, and I’m sad to report that interstellar camping trips maaaay not be so much fun after all. On planet HD 189733b, at least, the winds are blowing at a breathtaking 5,400 miles per hour. That’s the … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
The Nights Are Filled With Glorious Auroras This Week
The aurora borealis is one of the most stunning light shows on Earth, but normally, it’s a treat reserved for the hardy souls living at the coldest edges of the world. The last few nights, however, people across the Northern and Southern hemispheres have enjoyed dazzling, colorful skies, thanks to a geomagnetic storm that began … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
The US is Finally Heeding Warnings About a Monster Solar Storm
We’re all too familiar with the dangers posed by earthquakes, droughts, and hurricanes. But there’s another natural phenomena that represents a growing threat to our tech-driven society, and that’s space weather. And at long last, the US government seems to be taking the issue seriously. Space weather scientists at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
Meet the Preppers Who Are Ready for the Next Massive Solar Storm
Hurricanes and blizzards are petty trifles compared with the weather phenomenon that troubles apocalypse preppers: They’re worried about a giant electromagnetic storm wiping out all technology. It’s an unlikely scenario — a massive solar storm strikes only about once every 500 years — but if the Earth was hit by one, power grids across the … Continued
By Maddie Stone