Solar 'superstorm' that missed earth in 2012 could have caused massive blackouts

Asteroids aren't the only things in space we have to worry about. A massive solar storm emitted from the sun could fry electronics and satellites around the globe, and take down much of the power grid. And such a storm isn't as far-fetched as you might think: according to readings taken from a satellite in earth's orbit, a solar superstorm passed through earth's path on July 23rd, 2012 -- if it had struck nine days earlier, our planet would have been right in the crosshairs. A 2009 report from t...