Sun storm to hit Earth with 'force of 100 bombs'

RobitTV

AFTER 10 years of comparative slumber, the sun is waking up - and it's got astronomers on full alert.

This week several US media outlets reported that NASA was warning the massive flare that caused spectacular light shows on Earth earlier this month was just a precursor to a massive solar storm building that had the potential to wipe out the entire planet's power grid.

NASA has since rebutted those reports, saying it could come "90 years away or just 100 days", but an Australian astronomer says the space community is betting on the sooner scenario rather than the latter.

Despite its rebuttal, NASA's been watching out for this storm since 2006 and reports from the US this week claim the Storm could hit Earth On one of those Disaster dates - 2012!

The 2012 storm has the potential to be even more disruptive Then the one back in 1859 and 1921

"The general consensus among general astronomers (and certainly solar astronomers) is that this coming Solar maximum (2012 but possibly later into 2013) will be the most violent in 100 years," astronomy lecturer and columnist Dave Reneke said.

"They can even trip circuit breakers and knock out orbiting satellites, as has already been done this year."

No one really knows what effect the 2012-2013 Solar Max will have on today's digital-reliant society.

Dr Richard Fisher, director of NASA’s Heliophysics division, told Mr Reneke the super storm would hit like "a bolt of lightning”, causing catastrophic consequences for the world’s health, emergency services and national security unless precautions are taken.

NASA said that a recent report by National Academy and sciences found that if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause “$1 to 2 trillion in damages to society's high-tech infrastructure and require Five to 10 years for complete recovery”.

he reason for the concern comes as the sun enters a phase known as Solar Cycle 24.

All the alarming news building around the event is being fuelled by two things.

The first is a book by disaster expert Lawrence E. Joseph, Guilty of Apocalypse: The Case Against 2012, in which he claims the "Hurricane Katrina for the Earth" may cause unprecedented planetwide upheaval.

The second is a theory that claims sunspots travel through the sun on a "conveyor belt" similar to the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt which controls weather on Earth.

Most experts agree, although those who put the date of Solar Max in 2012 are getting the most press.

They claim satellites will be aged by 50 years, rendering GPS even more useless than ever, and the blast will have the equivalent energy of 100 million hydrogen bombs.

“We know it is coming but we don’t know how bad it is going to be,” Dr Fisher told

“Systems will just not work. The flares change the magnetic field on the Earth and it’s rapid, just like a lightning bolt.

Mr Benevolent

What kind of bombs? Are we talking fireworks here?

scientific1982

Michio Kaku was talking about about a year ago. Bye, bye electronics. Could be very serious.

Biggins

I hope it don't effect the playboy channel!

Leeg17

It's the end of Boards as we know it!

admiralofthefleet

quick everybody, run for the hills

The_Minister

This has always been one of the hypothetical ways in which civilisation ends - the internet and all computer data gets wiped, petrabytes of research data is lost, banking data goes....


Basically, we all run around, cracking each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside.




Or not. Depends how big it is. Would have to be REALLY big.

Mr Benevolent

The_Minister wrote: »

This has always been one of the hypothetical ways in which civilisation ends - the internet and all computer data gets wiped, petrabytes of research data is lost, banking data goes....


Basically, we all run around, cracking each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside.




Or not. Depends how big it is. Would have to be REALLY big.

And it would have to be aimed our way. No guarantee of that.

Nijmegen

I've got two words for you: Millenium Bug.

Ghost Train

Biggins wrote: »

I hope it don't effect the playboy channel!

So cable tv is the way to go then

conorhal

This smacks of Y2K paranoia all over again, thanks for the tip though, I'm off to put my money into tinned goods and tents, I'm so going to make a killing!

stovelid

Sweet. I can squander my sons' college funds on drugs and drink if the world isn't going to be around in a few years time.

Diabhal Beag

2012 eh? Up there with the assumption that we will be wiped out by an asteroid in 100 years.

The_Minister

Nijmegen wrote: »

I've got two words for you: Millenium Bug.

*SIGH*

There was a Millenium Bug, it isn't the fault of computer scientists that journalists can't be bothered fact-checking to determine what EXACTLY a threat is.

RobitTV

Pyr0

So will any of us actually die in this "Sun Storm" ?

The_Minister

RobitTV wrote: »

I thought only Americans thought France was in orbit.

The_Minister

Pyr0 wrote: »

So will any of us actually die in this "Sun Storm" ?

Only if you are in an aeroplane. The die-off occurs after when food production and distribution suffers.

Also, if rioting breaks out, then that would kill people too.

Again, this may not acually happen at all.

Dravokivich

This is the very reason why I still have Porno Mags.

Hard Copy... just in case...

curlzy

:eek::eek::eek: PANIC! PANIC! PANIC!, WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDRN!!!!!! :eek::eek::eek:. Oh wait, nope not panicky at all, dude we have like 2 years to stock up on sun block:D

Rented Mule

RobitTV wrote: »

The 2012 storm has the potential to be even more disruptive Then the one back in 1859 and 1921

I think a squirrel gnawing through a power line would be more disruptive than anything that happened in 1859.

My name is URL

They say that if it happens, it could take up to 50 years to fully restore electricity supplies. I think a generator takes something like 500 man horurs to build, and hundreds of thousands would be needed

it happened a hundred odd years ago and took down the telegram grid

Biggins

Ghost Train wrote: »

So cable tv is the way to go then

...But there is feck all boobies on display in Eastbenders!

Pyr0

The_Minister wrote: »

Only if you are in an aeroplane. The die-off occurs after when food production and distribution suffers.

Also, if rioting breaks out, then that would kill people too.

Again, this may not acually happen at all.

Ah that's alright then.

peasant

Bahh ..in 18whatever the storm took 18 hours to reach earth.
So all we need this time is someone to watch the sun and when it happens, spread the word and we'll just unplug everything for 18 - 24 hours until it's over

Just make sure to have your freezer fairly empty or everything will spoil

KilOit

hopefully it will be exciting like the movie Knowing

Spoiler if hadn't seen it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j8nuUVByrU

Son Of A Vidic

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

2012 eh? Up there with the assumption that we will be wiped out by an asteroid in 100 years.

Coronal mass ejections pose a more likely threat than an asteroid strike.

scientific1982

The_Minister wrote: »

This has always been one of the hypothetical ways in which civilisation ends - the internet and all computer data gets wiped, petrabytes of research data is lost, banking data goes....


Basically, we all run around, cracking each other's heads open and feast on the goo inside.




Or not. Depends how big it is. Would have to be REALLY big.

Its not the end of civilization its just a serious setback in technology. Banking data, personal data and research is always backed up with hard copies.

Sofiztikated

Kaidan wrote: »

hopefully it will be exciting like the movie Knowing

Spoiler if hadn't seen it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j8nuUVByrU

Seriously? That's the first I've ever heard those two phrases in the same sentence.

If this does happen, whats the bets there's going to be a bunch of impressionable people in Knock claiming they just saw the Mudder of Chris doing the lambada with Elvis, with Budda looking on in jealousy?

Biggins

Jolie Strong Keyhole wrote: »

Can someone explain how it will actually wipe out the grid?

Its related to ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) and is a huge topic in itself.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

storm2811

Jolie Strong Keyhole wrote: »

Can someone explain how it will actually wipe out the grid?

Fcuks up the earth's magnetic field I think.
Might be wrong though.

Edit: See above!

RobitTV

Hes a doucmentary about it Click here

Terry

RobitTV wrote: »

The 2012 storm has the potential to be even more disruptive Then the one back in 1859 and 1921

Two grammatical errors in one word.
Quality journalism there.

I'm getting a bit tired of all these ****ing scaremongers. It's reaching a point where a journalist will cry wolf and nobody will listen.

msg11

Will people have a flash foward is the question, and will it happen again ?

TimeToShine

EMP OUR ELECTRONICS ARE DOWN!

TimeToShine

Looks like the Sun is building up a 15 kill streak.

Subtle Troll

I call bollox on this, bollox bollox bollox.

****s sake lads, the sun IS a hydrogen bomb constantly exploding, this 100 bombs ****e they are on about is a piece of piss, and even if it did break my computer Id go down the the sony shop and buy a new one with my paper euros.

And the banks can go ****e, their records being wiped means johny tax payer dont owe them 50 grand each cuz a the dip****s that gave them our money.

People gotta stop readin this ****e there are proper papers out there ye can read without tits in them and mystic meg.

Grimreaper666

Just add it to NAMA and we can pay it off in another 80 or 90 years, don't worry folks, it will be alright in the end...........

Copper23

Another wild end of the world load of crap.

If NASA are watching it since 2006 and it's gonna wipe us all out I'm sure they'd have made a slightly bigger deal about it before now that I'd only find out a few days before through AH.

lintdrummer

Source or gtfo op!

Seriously though, this is a load of me balls.

Also this...

They claim satellites will be aged by 50 years, rendering GPS even more useless than ever

...suggests to me that the article was written by an old fart that can't get his garmin to find his house.

kraggy

NASA are just scaremongering to take the heat off Cowen.

-Trek-

:eek::eek::eek: If the internet goes down what will become of us nerds???? Will we become extinct??? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Sofiztikated

storm2811 wrote: »

Fcuks up the earth's magnetic field I think.
Might be wrong though.

Edit: See above!

Biggins wrote: »

Its related to ElectroMagnetic Pulse (EMP) and is a huge topic in itself.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

Gotcha, space Nazis. Even when it was the Sun sending out an EMP, I knew it was the space Nazis.

Bucklesman

It's actually a credible enough threat given that geomagnetic storms have knocked out electrical infrastructure in the past.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1859_solar_superstorm

The danger is from the change in the earth's magnetic field caused by the storm inducing a current in electrical transmission lines. This surge could damage transformers and such.

Since these things are pretty hard to manufacture without electricity, there is a danger of widespread long-term power outages.

storm2811

We had a pretty big solar flare back in August didn't we?
Though this one might be bigger I suppose, we'll have to wait and see what kind of damage it'll do!

Poly

hopefully it will happen at night time.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Anyone else really hopes this happens??

JONJO THE MISER

:eek:

galwayrush

THFC wrote: »

Anyone else really hopes this happens??

Not a severe one, it could knock off our electrical supply for 10 - 12 years, and totally **** up all aspects of electronic media for longer.

Voltex

if the EMP knocks out George Hook on Newtalk and his ads for SKY...well its a win win situation! Bring it on!!

JONJO THE MISER

galwayrush wrote: »

Not a severe one, it could knock off our electrical supply for 10 - 12 years, and totally **** up all aspects of electronic media for longer.

If it happened my god life would not be worth living, my esb was out for 10 hours a few months ago and i had the sweats after it.