The Earth Was Lucky to Dodge a Massive Solar Magnetic Storm in 2012

A fierce solar magnetic storm that missed Earth by nine days could have wreaked havoc on modern electronics

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The Earth Was Lucky to Dodge a Massive Solar Magnetic Storm in 2012
This image combines data from two coronagraphs and an extreme ultra-violet imager (green) on STEREO A. The CME is the bright streaks emanating from the sun. A coronagraph is a telescope that uses a disk to block the sun's bright surface revealing the solar corona.
Image: STEREO/NASA