Solar Storms, Northern Lights, and Near Catastrophes: How We Survived the May Mayhem
Extreme space weather gave us a dazzling display of the northern lights, but scientists were on high alert. A geomagnetic storm, one of the strongest in 500 years, disrupted everything from power grids to GPS. While we marveled at the sky show, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center was busy averting potential chaos.
Hot Take:
Who knew that the Sun’s mood swings could throw us all into chaos? We were all busy Instagramming the northern lights, and meanwhile, our planet’s infrastructure was playing a dangerous game of Jenga. Thanks, Sun!
Key Points:
- May 10 saw an extraordinary geomagnetic storm caused by three coronal mass ejections.
- The storm produced a rare and powerful display of the northern lights visible even from South America.
- NOAA scientists were on high alert and took measures to mitigate the impact on critical infrastructure.
- Disruptions were noted in navigation, power grids, aviation, and satellite operations.
- The event highlighted the need for improved preparedness and response to space weather phenomena.
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