Kolkata: There was a huge solar flare in 1859. It was so large
that it could be seen with the naked eye. In 1989, a solar storm
wiped out Canada's northern electric grid. Canada was out of
power for almost three days. Violent magnetic emissions from the
sun could one day destroy all electronic equipment on earth. An
Indian scientist from Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research has helped NASA predict when such explosions are likely
to happen. "The activity of the sun affects satellites, air
traffic on polar routes, telecommunications. So there is a huge
industry in trying to develop forecasting capabilities," said
Dibyendu Nandi of Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research....more 01:41 PM, Mar 08, 2011