Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 A heavy-duty solar flare erupted on the surface of the sun midmorning Thursday, and it appeared from early data that asolar storm from the X-class eruption was headed toward Earth. "It looks to be headed in the Earth's direction," Alex Young of Maryland's Goddard Space Flight Center told the Los Angeles Times in an interview Thursday. But, he noted, that's based on a view from just one of two spacecraft monitoring the sun. The so-called coronal mass ejection -- a violently released bubble of gas and magnetic fields -- could veer off. Scientists are waiting on more data from spacecraft within the next few hours to pinpoint the speed and severity of the storm. PHOTOS: Solar flare close-ups Mike Hapgood, a space weather scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford, England, explained coronal mass ejections in a recent interview with The Times: "Coronal mass ejections are caused when the magnetic field in the sun's atmosphere gets disrupted and then the plasma, the sun's hot ionized gas, erupts and send charged particles into space. Think of it like a hurricane — is it headed toward us or not headed toward us? If we're lucky, it misses us." The size of the flare is a "reasonable" indicator of the strength and speed of a coronal mass ejection, Young said. Thursday's flare was categorized at X1.4. Among the categories of flares, according to Young, are C, M and X -- which, in general, translate to common, moderate and extreme. The ejection, traveling at speeds of 1 million to 5 million miles per hour, takes about one to three days to reach Earth, said Young, associate director for science for the heliophysics division at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. Solar eruptions like these pose a danger to Earth's technology, as well as any spacecraft and astronauts that lie in their way. The blast of electromagnetic radiation can cause radio blackouts, Young said, and, in more extreme cases disrupt power. More and stronger space weather events are likely headed our way in coming days, the scientist said. The sun is nearing a peak in the solar activity cycle. "Solar activity has a cycle, minimum to maximum to minimum, and it's getting close to the peak of solar maximum," he said, which will occur sometime in 2013 or 2014. It's a cycle of about 11 years. Hapgood described some of the consequences of a massive solar storm. With power disrupted, the pumps that bring water into homes and pump the sewage away could stall; transportation could grind to a halt without the ability to pump fuel into vehicles; without power, ATMs and credit card machines would freeze up. Young noted, however, that the likelihood of space weather causing catastrophic problems on Earth was very slim. Solar flares erupt regularly, spewing matter in all directions, usually missing Earth altogether. And power companies and other entities affected by space weather do prepare for possible problems. "Space weather can have very strong effects on our technology," he said, but it's like living in an earthquake zone or near where hurricanes occur. "You prepare for them, but most people don't spend their day worrying about it." http://www.trbimg.co...0120712-001/600 source: http://www.latimes.c...0,6885961.story The solar storm is expected to arrive early Saturday, but forecasters at the government's Space Weather Prediction Center say they expected minimal impact to communication systems and power grids. It may spark colorful auroras in southern Canada and northern United States. The storm is part of the sun's normal 11-year cycle, which is supposed to reach a peak next year. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured Thursday's flare, wowing scientists with images of the massive outburst. ^ I found this interesting. Source (may not be that reliable): http://www.google.co...8bfb1d63368a672 Tell me your opinions below. I'll try to post some more news/pictures as we go along. Here is a solar flare incase you all forgot: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheDarKris 85 Posted July 15, 2012 So it already happened? Cause now its Sunday, or will it be next Saturday? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esumsoraroxas 48 Posted July 15, 2012 What the...are they headed towards Alaska? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) So it already happened? Cause now its Sunday, or will it be next Saturday? I don't know, I have to still research about it. It happened this Thursday, I don't think it will reach us that quick. What the...are they headed towards Alaska? No, if you read the first post (I even put it in bold letters), it says It may spark colorful auroras in southern Canada and northern United States. Edited July 15, 2012 by Shana09 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SquareSora 133 Posted July 15, 2012 ok uh this is wierding me out. im a little scared here. not cause of the solar flare. but becasue of the sun's life. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rikufan25 170 Posted July 15, 2012 2 Marth and Kirie reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 ok uh this is wierding me out. im a little scared here. not cause of the solar flare. but becasue of the sun's life. It happened a lot before, it just hitting the earth for the first time. It will not do that much damage other than affect our technology. Plus it will look soo colorful. 8D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Madara Uchiha 50 Posted July 15, 2012 Interesting. But you scared me there lol Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Namikaze 654 Posted July 15, 2012 yay i'm in the area to see colours!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chargeblade497 36 Posted July 15, 2012 It happened a lot before, it just hitting the earth for the first time. It will not do that much damage other than affect our technology. Plus it will look soo colorful. 8D OUR TECHNOLOGY? NOOOOOO!!! ;3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kingdom Sora 464 Posted July 15, 2012 If it says northern United States that means southern states like Alabama and Florida are safe? I'm just wondering since the Solar Flare looks pretty big and I want to make sure my state is safe. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chargeblade497 36 Posted July 15, 2012 Oh, but im in Florida, so no pretty colors for me Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkRealm20 121 Posted July 15, 2012 IM in Jersey!!!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chargeblade497 36 Posted July 15, 2012 This freaks me out. Survivalists are watching the sky, wondering if doom will come from above. They aren't just worried about an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, they are concerned that the sun could suddenly cause the end of the world as we know it. "It's one of the biggest natural disaster threats to the developed world," said John Kappenman, an electrical engineer who specializes in solar storms and the impact they would have on the Earth. "We've been doing nothing in regards to understanding the true severity of these storms, in fact, we are just building bigger and bigger antennae that makes us more closely coupled with severe space weather events. Space weather emanating from the Sun affects humans all of the time, we just don't notice it unless it disrupts our smartphones or puts on a pretty northern lights show. Experts warn though that at some point in the future an eruption of radiation and energy from the sun will be so massive, when hits the Earth it could send modern civilization into a long and deadly electrical blackout by frying all of the interconnected power grids. "If you lose electricity you lose the ability to pump and create clean water, treat and pump sewage, to maintain any perishable foods, all perishable medications, and you lose the ability to manufacture new things, like replacement parts for the things that were damaged," Kappenman warns. "The phone and Internet systems are only backed up by a few days worth of standby generation with very limited fuel. "The ability to pump fuel is lost, the ability to produce new fuel is lost. Transportation systems would be severely compromised, if not totally lost. It's something we really don't want to experience on a wide scale." The Japanese nuclear plants at Fukishima melted down because the backup generators were swamped by tsunami water, but experts warn that a similar thing could happen in Canada and the U.S. during a massive grid failure. The U.S. federal regulatory and nuclear regulatory commission are considering new rules. "We have some fuel on hand for cooling the reactor cores and the spent fuel pools, but they require much more backup fuel than what they have on hand. Right now they only have to have seven days worth of fuel, that is not nearly enough," Kappenman said. He says the impact of a solar superstorm would be very similar to an EMP attack and it's best to prepare in the same way. Many preppers are bracing for an EMP attack on the U.S., thinking that a lone nuclear weapon detonated high in the atmosphere by an enemy state would short-circuit everything electronic from power grids to toasters to cars to planes. Many are preparing by forming alliances and stocking up on food, water, medicine, manual tools, older cars and ammo. They are also urging the government to protect the grid. The U.S. Congress passed a bill in June 2010 to protect the power grid and nuclear power plants, which could melt down in the event of a prolonged blackout, but it was never passed by the Senate in time and died before it could come into effect. With the lack of protection from the state, Arthur Bradley says it's smart to prepare for yourself. "Individuals need to really think about food, water, shelter, off-grid power and medications because if a very large storm does hit, the power could be off for weeks or months, many in the United States have had a small taste of this with the recent blackout and heat. Imagine it lasting much much longer," said Bradley, an electrical engineer and author of the book, Disaster Preparedness for EMP attacks and Solar Storms. "If everybody in the nation, both in the U.S.A. and Canada were prepared for an emergency that lasted 30 days, they could provide their own food, water, medicines, their own needs, we would be so strong, no small event would upset our countries, but in reality most people have four or five days worth of food in the house, no stored water they have very few provisions for any kind of emergency." Otherwise, he says, you could wind up like the Hurricane Katrina victims, a refugee in your own city, at the mercy of the state. "If you have no preparation, no way to feed your kids, you have no choice. If you have nothing you are going to head down to the Astrodome or whatever is there, hoping someone can take care of you because that's all there is." --- - Solar flares are quick bursts of powerful radiation caused when the sun's magnetic loops snap together, putting out high-energy photons that leap out into space, sometimes, colliding with planets, including Earth. - Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are blasts of magnetized plasma travelling at millions of kilometres per hour out of the sun. Both can have devastating results. - In 1859, a solar superstorm happened when a massive blast of plasma burst from the sun and hurtled towards Earth. It was observed by sky-watcher Richard C. Carrington and has since been known as the Carrington event. Electricity was only in its infancy then and one of the only noticeable changes after the storm was to the telegraph service. When the radiation hit the telegraph conductors, they overloaded them with so much energy that operators could unplug their batteries and "go wireless" off of the sun's charge. - In 2003 a solar flare struck a glancing blow to our planet, grazing Sweden and taking out the power system in the city of Malmo. - In 1989, Hydro Quebec's power grid was blacked out by a solar storm much more mild than the Carrington Event. Electricity was out for more than nine hours and it cost millions of dollars to repair. - Preparing: for urbanites in an emergency, Arthur Bradley recommends a battery inverter over a large gasoline generator. Battery inverters can be attached to lead acid car batteries to charge small appliances, converting DC voltage into AC voltage. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hatok 6,413 Posted July 15, 2012 Wow... That looks... SO COOL! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yang 1,859 Posted July 15, 2012 Hooray Aurora Borealis! (sp? ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 If it says northern United States that means southern states like Alabama and Florida are safe? I'm just wondering since the Solar Flare looks pretty big and I want to make sure my state is safe. I'm not sure, but so far maybe you guys are safe. It's the first time it hit earth guys, we will never be a 100% sure until it hits. OUR TECHNOLOGY? NOOOOOO!!! ;3 ahahahahaahahahahahaha AH CRAP I FORGOT WHAT TO SAY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT Oh so it wasn't the first time? Hmm they said it was...oh well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Junko 2,815 Posted July 15, 2012 Oh, but im in Florida, so no pretty colors for me me toothat looks so kewl Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chargeblade497 36 Posted July 15, 2012 http://www.trbimg.co...0120712-001/600 source: http://www.latimes.c...0,6885961.story ^ I found this interesting. Source (may not be that reliable): http://www.google.co...8bfb1d63368a672 Tell me your opinions below. I'll try to post some more news/pictures as we go along. Here is a solar flare incase you all forgot: 'Space weather scientists said there should be little impact to Earth. The flare erupted from a region which rotated into view on July 6, 2012.'That is from the website. Confusion=100% Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deathrebirthsenshi 279 Posted July 15, 2012 ... Is anyone else thinking of that Nicholas Cage movie "Knowing"? This makes me scared...I'm pretty sure we've had solar flares before, all it does is interfere a bit with technology. Which, in this day and age, could mean the collapse of society as we know it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 'Space weather scientists said there should be little impact to Earth. The flare erupted from a region which rotated into view on July 6, 2012.' That is from the website. Confusion=100% Me too D: All the websites have different answers. "There will be catastrophic damage" "Nothing will happen" "WERE ALL GONNA DAI" "Dear lord it will do minor damage and that's it!" each freakin news website omg 1 Marth reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chargeblade497 36 Posted July 15, 2012 http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/07/15/SciTechTalk-When-the-sun-brought-darkness/UPI-62461342348260/ Guys. Read this, and take note on the last few sentences. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 http://www.upi.com/S...62461342348260/ Guys. Read this, and take note on the last few sentences. THATS WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY The biggest solar storm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Novarin 2 Posted July 15, 2012 It happened a lot before, it just hitting the earth for the first time. It will not do that much damage other than affect our technology. Plus it will look soo colorful. 8D On one hand there will be pretty colors. On the other, technology will be messed up... :wacko: NOT MY TECHNOLOGY!!!!!!!!!!!! http://kh13.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/smiley-cry.png Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shana09 5,769 Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) Actually, it already hit us. Saturday, and Sunday morning. Or not. Oh my god, did it hit or not? Damn sites... Ima say it did but I don't know. Edited July 15, 2012 by Shana09 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
