Space & Physics: Bigger solar storms are on the way

May 16–If, like many, you were awestruck by last weekend's auroras, our lead story explains how these dazzling displays were the least of our worries from a solar storm, the strongest to hit Earth in 20 years. That and more below! --Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space and Physics

Top Stories

The Strongest Solar Storm in 20 Years Did Little Damage, but Worse Space Weather Is Coming Years of careful planning helped safeguard against last weekend's severe space weather, but we still don't know how we'd cope with a monster event Jonathan O'Callaghan; Lee Billings

Giant Sunspot Cluster Could Pelt Earth with a Cannibal Coronal Mass Ejection A giant sunspot cluster rivaling the one that caused the Carrington Event in 1859 could trigger a cannibal coronal mass ejection. But this is unlikely to cause major problems Stephanie Pappas

Sun Erupts with Largest Flare of This Solar Cycle, but Auroras Unlikely to Follow The same massive sunspot cluster that gave Earth multiple nights of stunning aurora displays has now produced the largest flare of the current solar cycle Meghan Bartels

Has Quantum Physics Determined Your Future? Everything in the universe may be preordained, according to physics Dan Falk

Don Pettit, NASA's Oldest Active Astronaut, Is Going Back to Space Veteran spacefarer Don Pettit is set to launch this summer on a half-year mission to the International Space Station to perform novel science experiments, snap unique orbital photos, and much more Rich Stone

A Brand-New Spacecraft Will Visit the International Space Station Soon Sierra Space's Dream Chaser is set to make its inaugural trip to orbit to deliver supplies to the International Space Station Sarah Scoles

Superheavy Elements Are Breaking the Periodic Table Extreme atoms are pushing the bounds of physics and chemistry Stephanie Pappas

Don't Panic—At Least, Not about a Nearby Supernova An exploding star is a catastrophe on a cosmic scale, but here on Earth we're safe from such astral disasters—for now Phil Plait

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