UK consortium proposes mission to provide five-day warning of solar storms

http://ift.tt/1UCjSFP

Solar storms – or Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – are caused by the sudden release of built-up magnetic stress in the Sun's atmosphere. On Earth, we see the results of small versions of these when plasma streaming from the sun strikes our upper atmosphere and creates the Northern and Southern Lights (the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis). Sometimes, however, these ruptures can be inordinately large and have the potential to wreak havoc on orbiting satellites, radio networks, and national power grids. In an effort to be prepared well in advance of such events, a UK consortium has proposed a satellite system that can provide as much as five days warning of potentially damaging CMEs... Continue Reading UK consortium proposes mission to provide five-day warning of solar storms

Section: Space

Tags:

• Airbus
• aurora
• Plasma
• Sun
• Satellite

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via http://www.gizmag.com/