When the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) launches in Summer 2006, scientists expect to gain a better understanding of solar storms and improve warning times for everyone from satellite operators to astronauts.
"Blackout" takes you on a journey from the Sun to the Earth as eruptions known as solar storms travel to Earth and effect our lives in ways we still don't completely understand. 3-D animations bring to life the journey, through 150 million kilometers of space, of these outbursts of "space weather". Part 1: Our Active Sun
The most powerful solar flare in the last 500 years occurred on September 2, 1859 and was sighted by two astronomers who happened to be looking at the sun at exactly the right time!