"Solar tsunami" headed for earth

Brace yourselves, world - things are gonna get sunny, and not in a good way. Astronomers have witnessed a massive explosion on the surface of the sun - a solar flare - and are tracking its progress as it races towards the outer layers of our atmosphere.

Experts said the wave of supercharged gas will likely reach the Earth on Tuesday, when it will buffet the natural magnetic shield protecting Earth.

It is likely to spark spectacular displays of the aurora or northern and southern lights.

"This eruption is directed right at us," said Leon Golub, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).

"It's the first major Earth-directed eruption in quite some time."

Scientists have warned that a really big solar eruption could destroy satellites and wreck power and communications grids around the globe if it happened today.

While it's impossible to predict the exact effects of this eruption, it is certainly possible that it will disrupt communications in some areas. The article, which you can read here, notes that NASA "recently warned that Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth is hit by a once-in-a-generation 'space storm.'"

This is particularly troubling, of course, because we are believed to be in a period of subdued solar activity that is scheduled to end - explosively - in 2013. If a flare like this one is "subdued," I'd hate to see what's coming our way in '13.

UPDATE: You can see pictures of this solar flare, and find more information, at NASA's website.