For the first time, spacecraft catch a solar shockwave in the act
Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - 13:02
in Astronomy & Space
On Oct. 8, 2013, an explosion on the sun's surface sent a supersonic blast wave of solar wind out into space. This shockwave tore past Mercury and Venus, blitzing by the moon before streaming toward Earth. The shockwave struck a massive blow to the Earth's magnetic field, setting off a magnetized sound pulse around the planet.