The hits keep on coming…March 11th.
Two More Solar Flares Erupt on Active Sun Saturday
Strongest class of solar flare, three X class flares.
This image, captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on March 10, 2012, shows an active region on the sun, seen as the bright spot to the right. Designated AR 1429, the spot has so far produced three X-class flares and numerous M-class flares.
CREDIT: NASA/SDO/AIA
Last January I posted this story.
Today:
Solar Flare: What If Biggest Known Sun Storm Hit Today?
Richard A. Lovett
Updated March 8, 2012
A powerful sun storm—associated with the second biggest solar flare of the current 11-year sun cycle—is now hitting Earth, so far with few consequences. But the potentially “severe geomagnetic storm,” in NASA’s words, could disrupt power grids, radio communications, and GPS as well as spark dazzling auroras.
The storm expected Thursday, though, won’t hold a candle to an 1859 space-weather event, scientists say—and it’s a good thing too.
If a similar sun storm were to occur in the current day—as it well could—modern life could come to a standstill, they add.
Back in 1859 that storm took down the “high tech” of the era, the Telegraph.
Today the entire network of computers and communications could be knocked out for days, weeks, even months. Credit cards stop working, low inventory messages don’t get sent or received, electronic payroll authorizations fail. How do you buy anything? A hundred and fifty years is nothing, less than the blink of a eye to our Sun. Anything that happened then could happen again.
A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
“A sense of obligation.”
Gold, Guns, & Grub…or die.
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