In recent days, a distressing number of posts have been circulating on news channels and social media regarding a super solar storm that could potentially disrupt the internet. However, it is crucial to approach these claims with caution, as the process of assessing the potential outcomes of an incoming major solar event is still ongoing. Much of the information circulating on the web appears to be speculative and based on surface-level data, leading to unwarranted panic and fear among the public.

The misleading posts on social media can be traced to an article published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that mentions their efforts in developing artificial intelligence (AI) to predict solar storms. Many people rushed to the conclusion that NASA developed the AI in preparation for an event that would be detrimental to the world’s connectivity. Furthermore, a study by Sangeetha Abdu Jyothi used the term "internet apocalypse," inadvertently amplifying public attention and distress. Jyothi has since expressed regret, acknowledging that the phrase garnered more attention than intended. 

Super solar storms are extremely rare; however, the stakes are very high. An outage of global connectivity would damage every industry, person, and entity on Earth. Likewise, NASA stated that “such technological chaos could cripple economies and endanger the safety and livelihoods of people worldwide.”

NASA reports that such solar storms result in flares that may cause issues when they pass through Earth’s natural defenses, its magnetic field, for example, and reach the surface of the planet. Based on the sun’s 11-year cycle, it is predicted that the sun’s peak activity period, often referred to as the “solar maximum,” will happen sometime in 2025. Despite ongoing preparations by scientists, the precise effects of this event on global connectivity remain uncertain.

Professor Peter Becker of George Mason University told Fox Weather that “the internet has come of age during a time when the sun has been relatively quiet, and now it’s entering a more active time” and that “it’s the first time in human history that there’s been an intersection of increased solar activity with our dependence on the internet and our global economic dependence on the internet.” In addition to geomagnetic forces, a major solar event may also knock out equipment like satellites in the Earth’s orbit. Satellites are responsible for services like satellite internet and the global positioning system (GPS).

Presently, the main area of concern is the underwater cables laid on the ocean floor that transmit information via fiber optics. The optical fibers themselves aren’t susceptible to damage by geomagnetic forces; however, sensitive circuitry maintaining the cables may be harmed by solar flares. A disruption to a significant number of these cables could result in a massive loss of connectivity, effectively isolating countries from the global network.

Drawing parallels with historical events, a major solar storm occurred in 1859 that is often referred to as the Carrington Event. The event erupted in geomagnetic chaos as telegraphs caught fire and the world’s communication array was disrupted. Moreover, in March of 1989, a geomagnetic storm that was weaker than the Carrington Event resulted in a 12-hour blackout in Quebec as it overloaded the province’s power grid. Additionally, in 2012, a megastorm that occurred around 775 A.D. was discovered. It is estimated to be 10 to 100 times stronger than the Carrington Event. This solar storm is theorized to have originated from a “superflare” that typically occurs once every 10,000 years; this superflare is referred to as a “Miyake Event.” A direct hit by a Miyake Event will wreak absolute havoc on our wired society.

While empirical evidence supports that the occurrence of major solar activity during the solar maximum will be more frequent, there is no credible evidence to substantiate the viral rumors predicting a worldwide connectivity issue. The sun's magnetic activity is anticipated to result in more frequent sunspots and stronger solar flares, but an official estimation of the damages a solar storm may cause is yet to be issued.