Solar storm threatens Net

A giant solar eruption logged Friday, July 14, will likely reach Earth on Saturday. In the U.S. the storm of electrically charged particles is scheduled, according to scientists, to hit in the afternoon and could cause major problems for the telecommunications grid. A spokesman from the Space Environment Center said it could be the biggest event of the current 11-year solar cycle. The last peak, in March, 1989, took out the main power grid for the province of Quebec, Canada. If the solar storm is as severe as it is expected to be, the SOHO spacecraft will send a warning out about 45 minutes before it hits, allowing power companies to protect vulnerable circuits.

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