Well not really but I had to get your attention. Could be bad though,
last time this happened it completely knocked out America's
communications network, luckily in 1859 that only meant the telegraph
service. Could be a bit more serious now...
Nasa warns solar flares from 'huge space storm' will cause devastation
Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without
critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth
is hit by a once-in-a-generation space storm, Nasa has warned.
By Andrew Hough http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/andrew-hough/
Published: 1:00PM BST 14 Jun 2010
National power grids could overheat and air travel severely disrupted
while electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites could
stop working after the Sun reaches its maximum power in a few years.
Senior space agency scientists believe the Earth will be hit with
unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun
wakes from a deep slumber sometime around 2013, The Daily
Telegraph can disclose.
In a new warning, Nasa said the super storm would hit like a bolt
of lightning and could cause catastrophic consequences for the
world's health, emergency services and national security unless
precautions are taken.
Scientists believe it could damage everything from emergency
services' systems, hospital equipment, banking systems and air
traffic control devices, through to everyday items such as
home computers, iPods and Sat Navs.
Due to humans' heavy reliance on electronic devices, which are
sensitive to magnetic energy, the storm could leave a multi-billion
pound damage bill and potentially devastating problems for
governments.
We know it is coming but we don't know how bad it is going to
be, Dr Richard Fisher, the director of Nasa's Heliophysics
division, told The Daily Telegraph in an interview.
It will disrupt communication devices such as satellites and car
navigations, air travel, the banking system, our computers, everything
that is electronic. It will cause major problems for the world.
Large areas will be without electricity power and to repair that
damage will be hard as that takes time.
Dr Fisher added: Systems will just not work. The flares change the
magnetic field on the earth that is rapid and like a lightning bolt.
That is the solar affect.
A space weather conference in Washington DC last week
http://www.nswp.gov/swef/swef_2010.html , attended by Nasa scientists,
policy-makers, researchers and government officials, was told of similar
warnings.
While scientists have previously told of the dangers of the storm, Dr
Fisher's comments are the most comprehensive warnings from Nasa to
date.
Dr Fisher, 69, said the storm, which will cause the Sun to reach
temperatures of more than 10,000 F (5500C), occurred only a few times
over a person's life.
Every 22 years the Sun's magnetic energy cycle peaks while the
number of sun spots or flares hits a maximum level every 11
years.
Dr Fisher, a Nasa scientist for 20 years
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/04jun_swef/
, said these two events would combine in 2013 to produce huge levels of
radiation.
He said large swathes of the world could face being without power for
several months, although he admitted that was unlikely.
A more likely scenario was that large areas, including northern Europe
and Britain which have fragile power grids, would be without
power and access to electronic devices for hours, possibly even days.
He said preparations were similar to those in a hurricane season, where
authorities knew a problem was imminent but did not know how serious it
would be.
I think the issue is now that modern society is so dependant on
electronics, mobile phones and satellites, much more so than the last
time this occurred, he said.
There is a severe economic impact from this. We take it very
seriously. The economic impact could be like a large, major hurricane or
storm.
The National Academy of Sciences warned two years ago that power grids,
GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio
communications could all be knocked out by intense solar
activity.
It warned a powerful solar storm could cause twenty times more
economic damage than Hurricane Katrina. That storm devastated New
Orleans in 2005 and left an estimated damage bill of more than $125bn
(£85bn).
Dr Fisher said precautions could be taken including creating back up
systems for hospitals and power grids and allow development on satellite
safe modes.
If you know that a hazard is coming
and you have time enough
to prepare and take precautions, then you can avoid trouble, he
added.
His division, a department of the Science Mission Directorate at Nasa
headquarters in Washington DC, which investigates the Sun's
influence on the earth, uses dozens of satellites to study the threat
The government has said it was aware of the threat and contingency
plans were in place to cope with the fall out
