Season 2 · Episode 12 Recent

Sun Storm

Sun, Dec 30, 2012 · 44 min

You probably already know that the sun is super old (4 billion years) and incredibly hot (10,000 degrees Fahrenheit). And you might even know that, since it's a giant ball of plasma, it's packed with energy (it will likely blaze for another 6 billion years). It's a friendly neighbor, too -- providing heat and light that make life here on Earth possible. But all isn't entirely rosy. Did you know our sun has a dark side? It's capable of massive destruction! On its surface, a massive storm is brewing -- one so large that it could knock out the power grid, crippling everything from communications systems to banking systems to our water supply. But how prepared are we for a massive solar storm? In this episode, Curiosity goes on a virtual expedition through the heart of the sun to see how these super solar storms form and more.