NASA Warns Extreme Solar Storms Could Be More Dangerous Than Ever Thought

The impact of solar storms and extreme space weather could be far more severe than scientists once believed. Space weather happens when activity on the sun affects Earth's magnetic field and upper atmosphere. Experts have long warned that powerful solar storms can disrupt satellite networks, interfere with communication systems, damage power grids and even trigger widespread outages. But new research suggests that the risk may be greater than previously estimated. For decades, scientists believed that there was a natural upper limit to how strongly Earth could respond to solar storms. However, researchers now say that this apparent limit may have been an illusion. The findings of the new study led by NASA and Lancaster University suggest that under extreme conditions, solar storms could produce effects beyond the levels previously considered possible. And this raises concerns about the resilience of modern technology that depends heavily on space-based systems. According to the study, the mistake came from how scientists understood the strength of solar winds. And this means the Earth might not have as much protection as scientists thought. This also implies extreme space weather could cause far greater damage to our technology than previously predicted. Solar storms caused aurora borealis that sent charged particles hurling towards Earth. However, scientists now say that the same solar activity could wreak much more havoc.