While you’re online trading cat videos and TikTok links and not getting any sun, the sun itself could potentially knock us all offline for good.
That’s precisely why the Parker Space Probe was launched in 2018 — to study the solar storms that take place on the sun, which have the potential to fry our satellites and communications systems.
According to a study published in the journal Nature, the probe has made 15 passes close to the sun so far, and data gathered from it is giving scientists a better understanding of these potentially devastating magnetic storms.
To that end, the satellite has just discovered coronal holes — that is, holes in the outer layer of the sun, through which massive jets of radiation and magnetic waves fire like water from a shower head.
NASA researchers are hoping to study the storms, which flare up in our direction every 15 years, in an effort to better protect our blue orb from their impact — and keep your kid entertained by playing “Baby Shark” on YouTube for the millionth time.
Oh, and otherwise stave off an absolute reset of civilization.