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Carrington-class CME Narrowly Misses Earth


Waspie_Dwarf

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ScienceCasts: Carrington-class CME Narrowly Misses Earth

Visit http://science.nasa.gov/ for more.

Two years ago, an intense solar storm narrowly missed Earth. If it had hit, researchers say, we could still be picking up the pieces.

Credit: NASA

Source: NASA - Multimedia

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Scary to think that this is just a matter of time.

It is our technology that makes us vulnerable. A CME hit would go unnoticed to most life on Earth, but for humans living in high Northern or low Southern latitudes it can cause electrical blackouts and problems with radio communications. It can also cripple satellites.

As it is our technology that makes us vulnerable we must improve our technology to remove that vulnerability.

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My knowledge of the power grid structure is very limited . But are not most Earthly lines , transformers and most electronic equipment shielded , grounded , and has surge protection built in to reduce a full system breakdown ? And also how would a CME effect a home solar cell / battery system in ones home ?

I guess I'm thinking a Total country shutdown would not happen , more like localized areas only .

Looks like you and I posted at the same time .

Edited by ROGER
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I guess I'm thinking a Total country shutdown would not happen , more like localized areas only .

It doesn't need to be an entire country shut down. Just think of the implications for towns in Alaska or Northern Canada, Siberia, Norway etc, if they were to lose electrical power for several days in the middle of winter. The impact on the very young, very old and sick could be devastating.

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Losing power in the middle of a Texas summer could have the same affect on the elderly

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The auroras would be delightful.

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The auroras would be delightful.

As you slowly and painfully freeze to death because there is no power, you can't call for help because the mobile phone network has been knocked out, I'm sure the fact that the sky is pretty will be some consolation as you draw your final breath.

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  • 2 months later...

As you slowly and painfully freeze to death because there is no power, you can't call for help because the mobile phone network has been knocked out, I'm sure the fact that the sky is pretty will be some consolation as you draw your final breath.

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There's something to be said about having a woodstove and several cords of firewood. :)

On the

Above, I wonder just how bad (worse case scenario) the damage could be.

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As you slowly and painfully freeze to death because there is no power, you can't call for help because the mobile phone network has been knocked out, I'm sure the fact that the sky is pretty will be some consolation as you draw your final breath.

There's something to be said about having a woodstove and several cords of firewood. :)

.

i agree with BR.

all my outdoor clothing is waterproof, breathable, and insulated. a week in anywhere remote wouldn't be any hardship whatsoever (unless it was cold enough to freeze alcohol, THEN i'd be disappointed).

an event such as this Waspie, as you pointed out, would barely register on most people's lives, so going somewhere, to watch, what would be, an amazing auroral spectacle, would, well prepared, hardly be the end of the world now, would it....

.

Edited by shrooma
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I'm pretty sure people haven't forgotten how to burn wood completely. I'm sure people would help out old folks. But yep inevitably some would die.

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you know, what I have learned is that it is socially unacceptable to tell the truth too soon, including the activities about the sun. I am positive I warned people about this particular issue with the sun years ago, while people scoffed.

I have always said that I am five to ten years before the perceptions of a good portion of the USA's general population. When I speak these truths, I am not going to give you links. My objective is to give you a seed of thought that inspires you to educate yourself. Some think I am a hack. OK. That kind of reflection is simply always going to happen. What I am asking is that people start being curious and questing. Get a passion for something. One of my passions is the sun.

Edited by regeneratia
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I'm pretty sure people haven't forgotten how to burn wood completely. I'm sure people would help out old folks. But yep inevitably some would die.

I have a wood-burning stove and passive solar.

I LOVE the concept and practice of foresight. Do you?

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This is my home page. This keeps me up on events with the sun. I check it every day.

http://www.solarham.net/index.htm

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regeneratia, please stay on topic, this is NOT an end of the world prediction topic.

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an event such as this Waspie, as you pointed out, would barely register on most people's lives, so going somewhere, to watch, what would be, an amazing auroral spectacle, would, well prepared, hardly be the end of the world now, would it....

The big flaw in your logic is that if you are far enough away from the polar regions to avoid the damaging effects of a Carrington class solar flare you are far enough away NOT to experience an amazing auroral spectacle.

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The big flaw in your logic is that if you are far enough away from the polar regions to avoid the damaging effects of a Carrington class solar flare you are far enough away NOT to experience an amazing auroral spectacle.

I think its an over exaggeration to expect that an aurora of such magnitude could not be safely observed lest death results. North and south poles cannot produce simultaneous winters.

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The "narrowly missed" is hyperbole. It was "earth obit crossing". But earth was no where near it.

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It doesn't need to be an entire country shut down. Just think of the implications for towns in Alaska or Northern Canada, Siberia, Norway etc, if they were to lose electrical power for several days in the middle of winter. The impact on the very young, very old and sick could be devastating.

I'm actually not so worried about people living in small towns farther away from the energy grid. They tend to have experienced other more common disruptions that have taught them the necessity of alternate modes of survival, including such things as wood burning stoves.

Back in 2003, after a particularly impressive CME, I was part of a team that hardened part of the cellular network in Florida. We were supposed to do a bigger part of it, but funding was limited, and ultimately the project only managed to get enough to do the 911 systems in a few counties. Unfortunately, despite the magnitude of the disaster, should it occur, the probability of it occurring is not imminent enough to free up money to defend against it.

Like most things, the problem isn't predicting it or protecting against it. It's finding the cash to do it.

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Like most things, the problem isn't predicting it or protecting against it. It's finding the cash to do it.

Like so many things a threat is only taken seriously AFTER it has happened.

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Experience is a harsh teacher. First it gives you the test, then it lets you study the lesson.

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