Could one massive burst of radiation from the sun cripple satellites in orbit and fry electronics all over the Earth?  Could a gigantic solar storm change life as we know it in an instant?  Well, if we are to believe what some scientists from NASA are saying, the answer to both questions is yes.  In fact, they are telling us that huge electromagnetic pulses from the sun could cripple our electrical grid for years, causing billions (if not trillions) of dollars in damages.  Now the truth is that the sun is not going to cause "the end of the world", but as our society continues to become increasingly dependent on high technology, scientists warn that there is a very realistic possibility that solar storms could cause a very serious disruption in our lifestyles - especially as we approach the next solar maximum in 2013.

So just what are solar storms?

Well, solar storms occur when eruptions from the Sun send massive amounts of charged particles and radiation in the direction of Earth.  But the level of activity on the sun is not constant.  Sometimes there is a lot of activity on the sun and sometimes there is very little.  Solar activity usually follows an 11 year cycle, and right now the sun is moving into a period of increased activity.

The funny thing is that there has been very little solar activity for most of the past two years.  In fact, the absence of sunspots has very much surprised scientists who study the sun.

So what exactly has been going on?  Why has there been such a lack of sunspots in the last couple of years?

Well, some scientists postulate that the sun's magnetic activity may be diminishing.  Other believe that our sun may actually be shrinking.

The reality is that something seems to be happening, and many are beginning to wonder if the weird activity on the sun has something to do with 2012.

This current solar cycle is just not going as scientists had predicted.  The sun began to calm down in late 2007 (as predicted), and there was not supposed to be much solar activity in 2008.

But just how low the level of solar activity was in 2008 was absolutely shocking to scientists.

In 2008, the sun was spot-free 73 per cent of the time, which was an extreme dip even for a solar minimum.

In fact, it represented the lowest amount of sunspots since 1913.

In 2009, scientists were expecting solar activity to get back to normal, but it still didn't happen.

Finally, in mid-December, the largest group of sunspots to emerge for several years appeared, but the overall number of sunspots has still been far below expectations.

So what does all of this mean?

Nobody is quite sure what to make of it.

In fact, David Hathaway, a physicist at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, seems as puzzled as the rest of us....

"This is solar behavior we haven't seen in living memory."

So will a much less active solar minimum also mean a much more active solar maximum once we get to 2012 and 2013?

That is what some scientists are beginning to warn us of.

In fact, NASA scientists recently warned that the Earth could be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes "from a deep slumber" as we approach 2012 and 2013.

So why are 2012 and 2013 years to watch?

Well, every 22 years the Sun’s magnetic energy cycle peaks, and every 11 years the number of sun spots hits a maximum.

It turns out that both of these events are going to take place in 2013, and scientists are warning us to brace ourselves for the massive amounts of radiation that the sun will produce at that time.

Just to give you an idea, one gigantic solar storm can unleash a billion times more energy than a nuclear bomb.

Scientists tell us that a really bad solar storm could devastate a vast array of equipment that we depend upon every day including communication satellites, emergency medical systems, electrical grids, air traffic control equipment, home computers, iPods and GPS units.

Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division says that the threat is very real and that we need to be ready....

"The Sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity. At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms."

According to The National Academy of Sciences, a "century-class" solar storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.

20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina?

Yes, the threat we face from solar storms is very real.

In fact, the U.S. Congress is so concerned about it that they are taking action.  The Energy and Commerce committee of the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted 47 to 0 to approve a bill allocating 100 million dollars to protect the U.S. energy grid from solar storms.

So how bad are things going to get?

Well, as we mentioned earlier, solar storms are not going to cause the end of the world, but things could get very interesting as we approach 2012 and 2013.  Considering how many other signs are pointing to those years as being significant, it may be wise for all of us to start making emergency preparedness more of a priority.  We could be in for quite a ride.