A pair of solar observers known as the STEREO spacecraft have taken the first 3-D pictures of the sun's powerful storms, during which billions of tons of charged particles erupt from the sun's surface. The two spacecraft have taken up two positions about 100 million miles apart:
Not unlike human eyes, the satellites' two points of view allow for combination images that render scenes in three dimensions [National Geographic News].
Solar storms can have serious repercussions here on Earth. They can
disrupt GPS signals and power grids, damage satellites, and bombard astronauts with solar radiation, experts said [National Geographic News].
But with the STEREO system, researchers say they can predict when a fierce storm will hit Earth 24 hours in advance (an improvement over previous 12-hour predictions). Says researcher Chris Davies:
"That's ample time to power down a satellite until the worst of the storm has passed; and if you're ...
