Note: This article is from 2012. A 2013 flare up missed the Earth but the risk is still very real. Wired Magazine Adam Mann Science Date of Publication: 02.29.12. 02.29.12 Time of Publication: 6:30 am. 6:30 am 1 in 8 Chance of Catastrophic Solar Megastorm by 2020 The Earth has a roughly 12 percent chance of experiencing an enormous megaflare erupting from the sun in the next decade. This event could potentially cause trillions of dollars’ worth of damage and take up to a decade to recover from. Such an extreme event is considered to be relatively rare. The last gigantic solar storm, known as the Carrington Event, occurred more than 150 years ago and was the most powerful such event in recorded history. That a rival to this event might have a greater than 10 percent chance of happening in the next 10 years was surprising to space physicist Pete Riley, senior scientist at Predictive Science in San Diego, California, who pu...