David Boteler News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Extreme space weather can damage power grids, causing widespread blackouts. But our understanding of the threat is still limited. A recent panel of experts shined a light on the issue.

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 12:00 UTC Sunspot 5395, source of the March 1989 solar storm. From “A 21st Century View of the March 1989 Magnetic Storm” by D. Boteler. They call it "the day the sun brought darkness." On March 13, 1989, a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field. Ninety seconds later, the Hydro-Québec power grid failed. During the 9 hour blackout that followed, millions of Quebecois found themselves with no light or heat, wondering what was going on? "It was the biggest geomagnetic storm of the Space Age," says Dr. David Boteler, head of the Space Weather Group...

Sat, 13 Mar 2021 05:33 UTC Sunspot 5395, source of the March 1989 solar storms. From "A 21st Century View of the March 1989 Magnetic Storm" by D. Boteler. They call it "the day the sun brought darkness." On March 13, 1989, a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field. Ninety seconds later, the Hydro-Québec power grid failed. During the 9 hour blackout that followed, millions of Quebecois found themselves with no light or heat, wondering what was going on? "It was the biggest geomagnetic storm of the Space Age," says Dr. David Boteler, head of the Space Weather Group at ...