Scientists propose spraying chemicals into Earth's magnetic field to protect us from powerful solar storms

On the left, a view of the sun shooting out plasma. On the right, a tiny Earth surrounded by blue drawn lines representing our planet's magnetic field.

When severe solar storms hurtle toward Earth, the planet's first line of defense is its magnetosphere, a vast magnetic bubble that deflects the brunt of the sun's dangerous charged particles. Historically, humanity has only attempted to forecast the storms and brace for impact.

Now, however, a team led by Brian Walsh of Boston University has proposed a bold method to actively strengthen that natural defense using a fleet of spacecraft designed to blunt the impact of space weather before it hits.