Alex: Solar flares and coronal mass ejections do not always hit Earth. They happen all over the sun and depending on where on the sun they occur, determines whether or not they are going to travel towards the Earth. Phil: Just because a solar flare or coronal mass ejection happens doesn't mean its going to affect the technology here Earth. It doesn't mean that there is going to be a space weather influence here at Earth. Some of them could be shot off to the side, and just miss us completely, they could go up, they could go left--some are like curve balls that a pitcher will throw. They could seemingly come straight for us and then miss us completely. So there is a lot that us as scientists have to understand about where the source of the solar flare or coronal mass ejection happens and how it then influences us here at Earth, and if it will hit us here on Earth.