Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth

A giant solar storm is heading toward Earth and is expected to reach our planet in early Thursday.  Experts say it could affect utility grids knocking out electricity, GPS services and possibly affecting airline traffic.

According to reports the storm is most likely to affect the northern portion of the country.

Astronomers say the sun has been relatively quiet for some time. And this storm, while strong, may seem fiercer because Earth has been lulled by several years of weak solar activity, according to a report by the Associated Press.

While solar storms do not harm us, they apparently affect technology. During the 2002 solar storms experts learned that GPS in particular was vulunerable to solar activity.

Solar storms can also make global positioning systems less accurate and cause GPS outages according to experts.

The AP reported that "the storm could trigger communication problems and additional radiation around the north and south poles — a risk that will probably force airlines to reroute flights."