Decay detector gives solar flare alert

A new method predicts solar flares more than a day before they occur—protecting satellites, power grids, and astronauts from potentially dangerous radiation.

In 1859, a huge solar storm had telegraph wires glowing and an aurora borealis visible as far south as Cuba, says Purdue University physicist Ephraim Fischbach.

“Because we now have a sophisticated infrastructure of satellites, power grids, and all sort of electronic systems, a storm of this magnitude today would be catastrophic. Having a day and a half warning could be really helpful in averting the worst damage.”