Is It Safe To Be Outdoors During a Solar Storm Warning?

A large portion of the Northern Hemisphere is under a warning this weekend, and it's because of some crazy activity from the sun. A Solar storm that NASA says is "unusually strong" is bearing down on the planet, and should produce some of the most spectacular views of the Northern Lights.

But the solar storm also comes with some negatives, including disruption to power and communications. So the question is, if a solar storm can affect communications, can it affect us?

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NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst hit Earth on Friday afternoon, actually hours before it was anticipated to, and it is supposed to last nearly through the entire weekend.

The warning is a rare one. In fact, the last time one was issued was in 2005, and other than some basic slow-downs, nothing severe happened then... at least, that's what they TOLD us. But technology has changed significantly in the past 19 years, and we rely so much more on satellite, and digital communication.

Officially, NOAA says nothing crazy is expected to happen, however they did alert power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions. They also did contact FEMA. But Rob Steenburgh, who is a scientists with the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center assured us we'd be fine.

"For most people here on planet Earth, they won't have to do anything."

Which is convenient, since... I don't think there was much we could have done regardless.

What's incredible about this storm is, the Northern Lights might be visible as far south as the Carolinas, and areas that SOMETIMES get to see them, should be getting one of the best shows of the Northern Lights they've seen in a long time.

But seriously, if this storm is strong enough to disrupt communications, and satellites, how could it possibly be safe for humans?

Well, we can thank the atmosphere for that. In fact, the existence of the Northern Lights is actually evidence of the radiation coming form the sun, reflecting through, and out of our atmosphere... so Thanks Earth!

Enjoy the show people!