The world almost came to an end in 2012, when two coronal mass ejections (CME) erupted from the Sun on June 23, 2012.
In one of the strongest solar storms ever recorded, the Sun sent a burst of energy through Earth's orbit that could have crippled electrical systems across Earth.
If an eruption took place nine days before, then Earth would have been hit, according to a NASA press release.
"If the eruption had occurred only one week earlier, Earth would have been in the line of fire," said Daniel Baker of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, according to the release.
"If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces," Baker added.
Luckily it missed our planet, because it would have wiped out power grids, radios, and GPS systems, according to NASA.
The eruption did hit the Stereo A spacecraft, which is what provided researchers the data that they have been analyzing ever since and released in April.
NASA said that the storm was likely stronger than an 1859 burst that did hit our planet, now known as the Carrington event, which was named after English astronomer Richard Carrington.
According to NASA, the recent incident would have caused more than $2 trillion worth of damage.
The recent eruption showed researchers how severe solar eruptions can be.
"I have come away from our recent studies more convinced than ever that Earth and its inhabitants were incredibly fortunate that the 2012 eruption happened when it did," said Baker. "We need to be prepared."
U.S. citizens need to be prepared for the potential damage from a burst of solar energy by freezing plastic containers full of water and always keeping your gas tank half full.
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