Solar storms may subtly shift your heart rate by influencing heart rate variability and the autonomic nervous system, new research suggests.

Mystery Behind the Uncanny Strength of a 2023 Solar Storm Solved by Scientists In April 2023, Earth was hit by a surprisingly strong solar storm, and now scientists know the exact reason behind its unexpected strength.

In its closest-ever dive into the Sun’s atmosphere, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has returned stunning new images and data that bring scientists closer to solving one of the Sun’s biggest mysteries: how the solar wind is born.

In April 2023, an unexpectedly strong solar storm caught scientists and the world by surprise. On April 23, Earth was struck by a geomagnetic storm that created vivid auroras visible as far south as southern Texas.

A succession of powerful solar eruptions in early May last year triggered the most powerful solar storm to hit Earth in 20 years. Later named after the deceased space weather scientist Jennifer Gannon, the solar storm produced awe-inspiring auroras visible as far south as Mexico, Portugal and Spain. It also made GPS go haywire for days.

Experts have advised people to monitor reliable sources like NASA and NOAA for updates on solar activity and space weather.

Since Galileo first observed them through his telescope in the early 1600s, sunspots have fascinated scientists.

The burgeoning space industry and the technologies society increasingly relies on—electric grids, aviation and telecommunications—are all vulnerable to the same threat: space weather.

The Sun’s outer atmosphere—the corona—only reveals itself during total solar eclipses, which happen about every 18 months on Earth, and are only visible along a narrow path. These events offer scientists a rare opportunity to observe the Sun’s violent surface—but now, they won’t have to wait on the cosmos to do so.

Thousands of solar tornadoes swirl above the sun’s surface at any given moment. These remarkable photos give us a glimpse at these stunning cosmic phenomena.