Auroras... They sure are beautiful aren't they? I would definitely want to see them for myself if I ever have the chance... 

However, many don't realize that they're actually created by intense solar activity... Meaning, the sun shoots so much radiation that it collides with earth's atmosphere, creating prisms of light...

Intense solar activity is not something that can be taken lightly... In 1859, a massive solar flare formed on the surface of the sun had created the most catastrophic geomagnetic storm to hit earth... Auroras were seen through out the world... 

The geomagnetic storm had caused electric transformers to explode causing blackout all over the world... Luckily, at that time, men didn't rely to much on technology and thus, the effects were not really damaging...

If the same thing would happen to us today, the result would be extremely bad... We now live in a world dependent on technology... That level of geomagnetic storm can destroy most of earth's transformers... It would take decades for us to repair the damage...

I repeat, it would take DECADES for us to repair the damage... Can u imagine living in a world without electricity? No Internet, no television, no lights, no laptops, no game consoles... 

We will be cavemen... 

Furthermore, if the level of the storm exceeds the one in 1859, earth's surface might burn... Put that in your How-the-world-would-end list... 

Therefore, the next time u see pictures of auroras or the actual thing, be reminded that they are sort of an indication of how powerful our sun is...