Solar flare

lesserspottedchloe

solar flare to reach Earth today-anybody know anything about this?

Clare Corbally

yea! charged particles from the sun reach Earths magnetic field which is what causes the Aurora or Northern Lights! They would be amazing to see but I doubt Irish weather will allow us to!

Noticed this morning on The weather space, and Space weather that another Solar flare might be I saw heading our way.


EARTH-DIRECTED FLARE: This morning at 0150 UT, sunspot 1283 produced an M5.3-class solar flare. A movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the flash of extreme UV radiation. Because of the sunspot's central location on the solar disk, the eruption was Earth-directed and a CME might be heading our way. Stay tuned for updates.


Links to videos here.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

http://www.solarham.com/

http://www.theweatherspace.com/news/links/90611a.html

youtube!

jusr watched a programme on discovery science all about solar flares and CMEs , if we come up against another 1859 type event (sorry not if but rather when its ana bsolute certainty that we will) there is a very strong chance that the blast will utterly destroy our sattellites and worse again our electricity transformers, which take up to 10 yrs to replace! Basically we would be back 1000 yrs in technology terms.

Part of the programme showed a very innovative solution to the problem by fitting our transformers with capacitors large enought to hold the charge from the blast for a few seconds,it would dissapate the energy away, I was left wondering why the hell we are not doing this NOW! A solar maximum is only around the corner and yet mankind is sleeping!

Wertz

spaceweather.com wrote:

STRONG FLARE ACTIVITY CONTINUES: On Sept. 8th at 1546 UT, sunspot 1283 unleashed an M6-class solar flare. This continues the active region's 3-day trend of daily powerful eruptions. Yesterday's blast, an X1.8-class event, produced a bright flash of extreme UV radiation and hurled an inky-dark plume of plasma into space.

Better time of year for aurorae...but no doubt it's going to be cloudy.
Auroral oval as far south as waterford.

slade_x

youtube! wrote: »

, which take up to 10 yrs to replace! Basically we would be back 1000 yrs in technology terms.

Our understanding of technology wouldnt change, it would take an unbelievably catastrophic event in which we lose much of our population and all of classical and modern history and innovation to erase 1000 years of progress. we have only had power stations since the late 1800's, in the days of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison, and practical use in the last 100 years

youtube!

Fair points Slade but the fact remains that if we were to be hit by another Carrington type event it could very likely be enough to destroy all of our electrical transformers. We would surely have the knowledge to repair but with no electricity,it would be a massive set back for most of humanity for years! I feel very strongly that this is the biggest and most likely event to threathen our planet and our civilisation which relies totally on electricity.

My point is why the hell are we not sorting this out now while we have the chance? I mean there is nothing we can do about a mega quake or a devestating tsunami,or even something as remotely cosmic as say a gamma ray burst but this is largely preventable, and yet no-one seems really pushed about protecting what could be our very future, all other events I have mentioned are possibilites remote or otherwise but a CME is a certainty!

Myrddin

youtube! wrote: »

Basically we would be back 1000 yrs in technology terms.

I've already had my sword forged in perparation for that day. There's a good blacksmith near Tallaght if anyone is interested.

youtube!

Glad you all think this is some kind of far-fetched joke but really its very grim what is in store for civilisation WHEN this occurs,why is this not being taken seriously? I just dont get it, it WILL happen and probably very soon,no-one seems to care...

Myrddin

youtube! wrote: »

Glad you all think this is some kind of far-fetched joke but really its very grim what is in store for civilisation WHEN this occurs,why is this not being taken seriously? I just dont get it, it WILL happen and probably very soon,no-one seems to care...

It was said with a touch of humour obviously, but of course there are implications. Communication grid, GPS, Entertainment etc, Power Grids...that wouldn't be funny.

But the thousand years thing, thats a bit sensationalist is all.

youtube!

Yep I guess you are right, it wasnt my intention for it to come across that way, and it is true that what we know in science should not just be wiped out in a single event.

If it was sensationalist,then accept my apology.

However can I ask you and anyone else for their personal opinions on the general apathty concerning this threat we face?

Does anyone know for instance is it even on a political agenda in any country in the world,and if so what funding is being made available if any?

I have no clue how much it would cost to protect ourselves,but surely the no amount can realistically be too much when its considered what will be lost?

Thank you.

Myrddin

youtube! wrote: »

Yep I guess you are right, it wasnt my intention for it to come across that way, and it is true that what we know in science should not just be wiped out in a single event.

If it was sensationalist,then accept my apology.

However can I ask you and anyone else for their personal opinions on the general apathty concerning this threat we face?

Does anyone know for instance is it even on a political agenda in any country in the world,and if so what funding is being made available if any?

I have no clue how much it would cost to protect ourselves,but surely the no amount can realistically be too much when its considered what will be lost?

Thank you.

No apology necessary by any means, just a bit of banther is all.

My personal opinion is that in the event of a large flare scenario, there isn't a whole lot I'm aware of that could be done about it...funding or no funding . We're quite exposed technologically speaking to such effects.

Wertz

youtube! wrote: »

However can I ask you and anyone else for their personal opinions on the general apathty concerning this threat we face?

I imagine that especially now, money is tight and the mere upkeep of transmission networks and the extension of those networks is higher up the list of priorities than encasing transformers in concrete or whatever it's gong to take to shield them.
I'd also imagine that even though this is a possible threat that it's not in the minds of those in charge because it's not happened before (91 canada maybe but that was small scale)...perhaps there is a factory out there somewhere building millions of spare transformers and other infrastructure on the possibility that this might happen, but it's doubtful because society doesn't operate like that.

You only have to look at the chaos caused by a snafu at some powerplant in nevada last night that caused a huge blackout on the US west coast to see that a proper monster solar event could cause and in it's event the pwoer wouldn't be coming back on after someone flipped a switch.
Huge loss of data, satellites, communication networks...our reliance on them is more than we even realise...but it will take their loss for any impetus to deal with such a huge weakness. In the worst case scenario, it may indeed take a century or more to rebuild electric networks alone...that's before you consider all the other stuff, like satellites or lots of sensitive elecrtonics damaged by any surge.

youtube!

I have known about solar flares and CME events for a few yrs now and like yourself I really didnt think there was much could be done about it, until that was I saw the Discovery science programme this past week.

If you get a chance to see it, it is called "Bad Universe" and the episode is called Death Stars. I have just looked up the listings and it is being repeated at 9pm tomorrow (sat night) so if you have Sky+ it may be of interest to you.

Basically it did put over very plausible suggestions as to what we can do.

Anyway hope I am not ramming it down your throat:pac:

Myrddin

youtube! wrote: »

I have known about solar flares and CME events for a few yrs now and like yourself I really didnt think there was much could be done about it, until that was I saw the Discovery science programme this past week.

If you get a chance to see it, it is called "Bad Universe" and the episode is called Death Stars. I have just looked up the listings and it is being repeated at 9pm tomorrow (sat night) so if you have Sky+ it may be of interest to you.

Basically it did put over very plausible suggestions as to what we can do.

Anyway hope I am not ramming it down your throat:pac:

Whatever the suggestion is, it'll cost money. So it won't happen

youtube!

Wertz,

Excellent post thanx.

youtube!

EnterNow wrote: »

Whatever the suggestion is, it'll cost money. So it won't happen

Alas I fear you are right ....

Myrddin

youtube! wrote: »

Alas I fear you are right....

Kinda veering off topic here, but a politician is only ever concerned about as far as the next election. To budget for something that may or may not happen for hundreds of years would be political suicide, & opposition would have a field day with it. Especially given funds are so tight at the mo'

So while I agree there is a threat there of some magnitude, I'd say we'll actually have to experience a large event in order to prepare for it.

Welcome to Earth :rolleyes::D

gbee

youtube! wrote: »

However can I ask you and anyone else for their personal opinions on the general apathty concerning this threat we face?

Thank you.

This planet has been totally destroyed in the past already. If it wasn't for this destruction we would not be here, rather we would not have evolved here.

On a universal scale there is nothing to suggest that we are the ultimate species on the planet, though dominant, we might be keeping the next evolution level down and the Sun sends a massive solar flare that extinguishes all life.

It might never happen ~ plus it's a new discovery, we can make hardened electronics, but how many have their TV antenna earthed against lightning?

The chances of global extinction events that have happened in the past are; Yellow Stone super volcano, it's over due: The release of vast quantities of CO2 that is trapped in the seabeds but is at saturation point: Global weather change a mini ice age due to solar activity:

Less expected events would include a massive meteor stike and a massive solar flare.

jumpjack

youtube! wrote: »

jusr watched a programme on discovery science all about solar flares and CMEs ,

Official research:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12507

Not good.

Cork boy 55

UpDate 07-03-2012

anther one inbound :eek:

An enormous solar flare is heading toward Earth and could disrupt power grids, satellite navigating systems and aeroplane flights.

Forecasters at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Centre said the sun erupted Tuesday evening and the effects should start smacking Earth around 5am Wednesday Irish time.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/huge-solar-flare-threaten-chaos-542658.html

Also BBC horiszon have done an show on them

There is a new kind of weather to worry about, and it comes from our nearest star.
Scientists are expecting a fit of violent activity on the sun which will propel billions of tonnes of superheated gas and pulses of energy towards our planet. They have the power to close down our modern technological civilisation - e.g. in 1989, a solar storm cut off the power to the Canadian city of Quebec.
Horizon meets the space weathermen who are trying to predict what is coming our way, and organistions like the National Grid, who are preparing for the impending solar storms

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01d99vb

Stay Safe

mike65

Yep the World Tonight on BBC radio 4 will be covering it shortly.

On Tuesday, evening, it unleashed two of the largest solar flares in five years toward our tiny plant and the impact could be significant. The X5.4 and X1.3 class flares (the strongest category of solar flares) were first detected in visible and high energy EM radiation by NASA spacecraft. Associated with the flares, were two CME’s or Coronal Mass Ejections comprised of charged plasma particles that could threaten power grids, radio communications, satellite operations, and GPS systems. Estimates of the two CME’s plasma velocities should put them in Earth’s vicinity around 7am EST, Thursday. That’s a speed of over 1,000 km/s!

Measurements of Earth’s magnetic field disturbance (KP Planetary Index) are already showing storm strength. Auroras could be seen as far south as 40 degrees north latitude. Power companies are on the alert for strong ground currents that could disrupt service.

Watch it all on the space weather media viewer app or from the Sun- Earth Day website

http://sunearthday.nasa.gov

http://venustransit.nasa.gov

More from SDO: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/main/index.html

Gurgle

hellboy99 wrote: »

Estimates of the two CME’s plasma velocities should put them in Earth’s vicinity around 7am EST, Thursday. That’s a speed of over 1,000 km/s!

For those not in the US, 7AM EST = 12 Noon here.
By happy co-incidence, that puts us in the best seats to catch any rays. By sad co-incidence it's cloudy and getting cloudier

Tomk1

RED ALERT! Shields up...
a serious stance as Riker looks forward

I know this is not the highest rated solar flare, but as there has been many smaller flares already hitting the Earth's magnetic field, & with these two on the way, any idea of what the effect would be of a prolonged increase in the bombardment of high energy particles on the atmosphere?

It will be interesting to see what data, comes back from the probes on Mars.

Wh1stler

I'd like to know if placing myself beneath a water-tank that is situated beneath a leaded-roof would protect me from being cooked by a sun's fart?

jumpjack

Wh1stler wrote: »

I'd like to know if placing myself beneath a water-tank that is situated beneath a leaded-roof would protect me from being cooked by a sun's fart?

Concrete roof/walls, and additionally a 60 km thick atmospehre, are enough to protect people from sun flares. What is at risk is "just" power grid due to high induced currents which could end by burning up the whole grid.
And it would require months or years to fix it.

jumpjack

The proper name is "flare", not "fart"...
"Fart" was just a joke... :-)

Anyway I didn't know of solar flares causing mass extinctions, any source?