Sun's 'Perfect Storm' Narrowly Missed Earth, but Could Have Wreaked Havoc

A powerful 2012 solar storm sent a huge magnetic cloud speeding through space at 2,000 kilometers per second, some four times the speed of a typical burst of solar energy known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). New research has revealed details of the powerful storm and provides a stark warning: Had the storm occurred just days earlier, it would have hit Earth directly, causing a severe magnetic storm that would have wrecked Earth's electrical grid, disabled satellites and GPS, and caused untold electronic disruptions.