newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ANGELA DAIDONE

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

A solar storm, which has the power to disrupt power grids, GPS, satellites and other technology, headed straight for the Earth early Thursday, but the planet held tight. At least so far.

According to the Huffington Post, scientists said the storm -- the strongest in five years -- still can shake up the Earth's magnetic field but also will likely spread colorful auroras, known as Northern Lights.

Last week, some cable television customers received notices of possible disruption times in service because of the anticipated storm.

The storm started with a massive solar flare several days ago and grew as it raced outward from the sun. It is estimated that the particles will be moving at 4 million mph, reports said.

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.

The storm is part of the sun's normal 11-year cycle, which is supposed to reach peak storminess next year, officials said. Scientists said solar storms don't harm people, but they do disrupt technology. Experts learned in 2002, when the last storm hit, that GPS was vulnerable to solar outbursts.

The effects could linger through Friday morning, and scientists are keeping a close eye on satellite technology, which may be affected.

"It could give us a bit of a jolt," said a NASA solar physicist.