Duck!

George Rebane

Our sun is going through a gastric upset and belching some pretty big stuff in our direction.  The belches are actually Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) of high densities of charged particles that are many times stronger than the normal solar wind which the sun constantly blows outward.  Most of the solar wind is deflected by earth’s magnetic field, so that only a little of it gets through now and then to impact our electro-magnetic communications.

But currently sunspot region 1093 (yes, they number these puppies so they can track them) is belching and coming around in our direction.  On 7 August it belched a huge mass that is hurtling past earth today (like right now) with only a minor impact on our goings on.  But as the sun rotates,  ol’ 1093 is getting better aligned with us in the next couple of days, and probably getting ready to let go with another big one that could be headed straight for us.

Spaceweather.com reports that a “major solar storm could cause 20 times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina, warned the National Academy of Sciences in a 2008 report, 'Severe Space Weather Events—Societal and Economic Impacts'.  Smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services, and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity.”

Here on earth we sometimes pump ourselves up a bit too much as we take credit for causing big changes in how this magnificent system operates.  When we consider major volcanic eruptions, high energy cosmic rays, the sun’s activity, etc - what really impacts our environment – compared to our relatively minor wiggles on this planet, we should be humbled.

Comments

[Barry Pruett]

We are very insignificant in the grand scope of things. Stephen Hawking was just talking about the future of the Earth and the sustainability of human life after an inevitable cosmic incident. http://tiny.cc/bn0dc

"You sit around here and you spin your little webs and you think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn't, Mr. Potter. In the whole vast configuration of things, I'd say you were nothing but a scurvy little spider." - George Bailey

[Todd Juvinall]

Humility was the message at Twin Cities last Sunday.

[Russ Steele]

What can we do to protect our electronic equipment? One, we will have a warning, roughly two days. Space Weather is a valuable resource. Second, we need our own individual action plans. I plan to use the cut off switch on my generator, to disconnect from the PG&E grid. And disconnect my longer cat 5 cable runs and connect them on one end to a ground connection, so the energy will not take out my routers and switches. Three, pray for a glancing blow.

[RL Crabb]

Back in the nineties, people made a big deal out of the claim that Clinton, Newt and the class of '94 balanced the budget. What really balanced the budget was everyone suddenly realized that they had to have a home computer to compete. Millions of jobs were created out of thin air, literally.

What does this have to do with solar flatulence? Well, if all the electronic gizmos in the world get fried, we'll have to start the cycle all over again.

Prosperity is only a sunfart away.

[Barry Pruett]

That is one way to jump start the economy! LOL. You kill me.

[Account Deleted]

Except Bob, that this time, the rest of the world won't need anything from the US and all production and wealth will be somewhere else. I'm getting my lead sombrero ready! To the bunkers!