While solar radiation enables and sustains life on Earth, it also produces “space weather” that can profoundly impact different technologies, including telecommunications, satellite navigation, and the electric power grid. Solar flares can produce x-rays resulting in radio blackouts that block high-frequency radio waves. Solar Energetic Particles can penetrate satellite electronics and cause electrical failure. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can cause geomagnetic storms that induce ground currents and degrade power grid operations, sometimes catastrophically.
Cover of Jack Eddy's book "The Sun, The Earth, and Near-Earth Space".
"The Sun, The Earth, and Near-Earth Space", written by late astronomer Dr. John A. Eddy, assembles concise explanations and descriptions—easily read and readily understood—of what we now know of the chain of events and processes that connect the Sun to the Earth, with especial emphasis on space weather and Sun-Climate. The COMET Program collaborated with NASA to help supplement the content with varied interactions and media items. The original 301-page text resource is made available courtesy of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and is not produced, owned or hosted by UCAR/The COMET Program.