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If you've ever wondered what keeps space weather physicists up at night, it's this. A solar flare of this magnitude last took place over a thousand years ago – well before the introduction of electricity. But if it were to happen in modern times then it would burn out energy transformers, cause financial markets to crash and even trigger a terrifying aviation communications blackout, scientists say.
Water sanitation plants could be left without power, while food in fridges and freezers would quickly start to go off without electricity. People flying at high altitude in polar regions would likely receive an increased dose of radiation, while our protective ozone layer could also suffer in the long run. The only good outcome would be spectacular Northern Light displays, likely visible across the globe.
Here, we provide a step-by-step guide of what to expect if a solar superstorm hits. Your browser does not support iframes. A solar superstorm, strong enough to cause an 'internet apocalypse', knock out satellites and cripple clean water supplies could hit Earth 'at any moment', experts have warned (stock image) Experts know about the previous extreme solar flare through close analysis of tree rings.
In 2012, a PhD student called Fusa Miyake made an astounding discovery while studying very old Japanese cedar trees. She noticed a huge spike in a type of carbon known as carbon-14 in a single year around 1,250 years ago. Her team concluded that this spike must have come from something injecting a huge number of particles towards Earth – most likely a monster burst of particles thrown out by the sun.
The phenomenon is now referred to as a 'Miyake event', named after the researcher who first discovered it. Mathew Owens, Professor of Space Physics at the University of Reading, told MailOnline how another Miyake event could cause havoc on Earth. 'It's exciting if you're a space physicist but worrying if you're a power grid operator,' he said.
'If we got...
Xantha Leatham.
