Communication disruptions could come, as well.

The sun just released the equivalent of a massive solar belch, sending highly charged coronal matter across the solar system. Some of the sun's energy will reach our atmosphere Wednesday night and Thursday, motivating stargazers to look toward the night sky in anticipation of the colorful, shimmering northern lights.

After several months of hiatus, the sun has awoken into a new period of solar activity. An impressive solar flare and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) December 7 hurled plasma and magnetic field toward earth.