Now there is a forecast that sunspot activity is intensifying and within the next four years could be significant enough to knock out a lot of our digital devices.
Here is the forecast:
Detours
Clumps of ions in the atmosphere could interfere with GPS. Satellite
signals are slowed by bumping into particles, meaning your trusty
navigator may lose its way. Remember those colorful paper things called
maps?
Falling Satellites
Increased solar energy heats Earth's atmosphere, causing it to expand.
That's a drag on low-flying satellites and can even knock them out of
orbit. A solar storm in 1979 deposited Skylab on Australia.
Layovers in Alaska
Particles are drawn to Earth's magnetic poles, right through popular
flight paths. Electrons absorb the energy in shortwave signals, causing
radio blackouts — and unscheduled stops in Anchorage.
Light Shows
Auroras occur when waves of charged particles light up gases in the
upper atmosphere. As more particles stream in, the so-called aurora
oval grows, bringing the "northern lights" as far south as Key West.
