BackAn Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined

Science

WiredyesterdayScience1 min read

An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined

New research suggests there is no upper limit to the intensity of solar winds reaching Earth, with potentially alarming implications.

Quick Look

New scientific research challenges the assumption of an upper limit on solar wind intensity, suggesting that extreme solar storms could pose a greater threat to Earth than previously estimated.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Scientists have historically operated under the assumption that solar wind intensity reaching Earth has a defined upper limit.

Font size

Scientists have long assumed that there’s an upper limit to the intensity of the solar winds that reach Earth. New research suggests there’s not—and the implications are alarming.

Open Questions

What is the specific mechanism allowing for higher intensity solar winds?
How would infrastructure be impacted by these higher intensity events?

NASA's Swift space observatory, operational since 2004, faces imminent reentry due to atmospheric drag. A rescue mission using Katalyst Space Technologies' LINK spacecraft was attempted but canceled due to control system failures, leaving Swift to eventually burn up in the atmosphere by the end of 2026.

Wired

3 min read

Science·5 days ago

Fat Marmot Week Launches to Fund Research Amid Federal Budget Cuts

Researchers in Gothic, Colorado, are launching 'Fat Marmot Week' to raise funds for a decades-long study facing federal budget cuts. The initiative follows a severe winter that killed two-thirds of the local marmot population due to record-low snowpack.

The Independent World

4 min read

Science·6 days ago

13th-century convent remains discovered beneath Danish sports field

Archaeologists have discovered the well-preserved remains of the 13th-century St Clare’s Monastery beneath a sports field in Roskilde, Denmark. Using ground-penetrating radar, researchers identified rooms, cloisters, and a church, prompting discussions on site preservation.

The Independent World

2 min read

An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined

Quick Look

Why It Matters

Open Questions

Related Topics

Related Stories

The Dark Personality: Identifying High-Functioning Predators in Professional and Public Life

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to Probe Dark Universe and Exoplanets

Scientists discover immune 'security stations' in the skull

NASA Abandons Rescue Mission for Aging Swift Space Observatory

Fat Marmot Week Launches to Fund Research Amid Federal Budget Cuts

13th-century convent remains discovered beneath Danish sports field

An Extreme Solar Storm May Be Even More Devastating Than Previously Imagined

Quick Look

Why It Matters

Open Questions

Related Topics

Related Stories

The Dark Personality: Identifying High-Functioning Predators in Professional and Public Life

NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to Probe Dark Universe and Exoplanets

Scientists discover immune 'security stations' in the skull

NASA Abandons Rescue Mission for Aging Swift Space Observatory

Fat Marmot Week Launches to Fund Research Amid Federal Budget Cuts

13th-century convent remains discovered beneath Danish sports field