SAN ANTONIO - You've heard of solar flares -- well this is a Solar Blast!
Technically it's stronger than a flare and capable of causing widespread disruption to communication systems including GPS, cell phones and satellites.
For the northern hemisphere, the auroral displays will be brighter-than-normal for skywatchers, but they won't be the only ones monitoring the sky: the folks - like CPS Energy - in charge of local power grids and orbiting satellites will also be on guard to make sure that disruptions won't occur here.
The powerful flare erupted from the sun Thursday, Jan. 19, and unleashed a plasma wave that may supercharge the northern lights for skywatchers in high latitudes this weekend.
The solar flare occurred at about 10:30 am and touched off a massive solar explosion — known as a coronal mass ejection — aimed at Earth, space weather experts and officials said. The charged particles from the sun explosion should reach Earth by Saturday night (Jan. 21), and could amp up northern lights displays when they hit the upper atmosphere.
