Both tree ring and ice data pinpointed the date of the extreme Miyake solar storm whose timing had long eluded researchers to between 664 and 663 BCE. The study is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Save up to 35% on the brand's softest, most coveted picks — it's a 7-time veteran of Winfrey's Favorite Things list.

A new study reveals a massive solar storm occurred in 664 B.C., with potential cataclysmic effects on today's technology if it happened again.

Scientists from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced in mid-October that the 11-yearly peak in the sun's activity known as the solar maximum was well under way, which increased the chance of solar flares.