Photo: Solar storm set to hit Earth

A huge solar storm that set off two solar flares is expected to affect Earth March 8 and 9, says the U.S. National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The effects of the solar flares, which erupted March 6, are predicted to hit March 8. That’s when charged particles travelling at four million miles per hour will start hitting Earth. The storm could cause electrical grids to trip out, cripple global positioning systems, disrupt radio communications and satellites, and even cause airlines to avoid approaching the poles. A bonus: the northern lights should be spectacular. You can watch the solar flares’ eruption on YouTube at http://youtu.be/2rWB-lhUj-8. This NASA photo shows a similar solar storm from 2003. (IMAGE COURTESY OF NASA)