Deadly Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections - We Must Prepare

The sun ejects particles all the time in random directions, generating all kinds of space weather. Occasionally, Earth is caught in its sights. When a coronal mass ejection’s magnetic field is misaligned to Earth’s, a dangerous geomagnetic storm can occur. If we’re not prepared, this could be a multitrillion dollar calamity, with potential loss of life. Looking closely at the corona, the sun’s outermost layer, astronomers can see wisps, loops, tendrils, and even streams of hot, ionized plasma. These are caused by the sun’s magnetic field, as hot, charged particles follow the magnetic field lines between various solar components. Lines enter and depart the sun in a chaotic manner, with powerful magnetic fields that loop back, split apart, and reconnect on a regular basis. These magnetic reconnection events can cause not just rapid changes in the intensity and direction of the field near the sun, but also rapid acceleration of charged particles. This can result in the emission