* Astronomy

For the first time, spacecraft catch a solar shockwave in the act

On Oct. 8, 2013, an explosion on the suns surface sent a supersonic blast wave of solar wind out into space. This shockwave tore past Mercury and Venus, blitzing by the moon before streaming toward Earth. The shockwave struck a massive blow to the Earths magnetic field, setting off a magnetized sound pulse around the planet.
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