Solar storm on Tuesday will change magnetic forces!

1. 72

   aguasilverposted 14 years ago

   Solar flares from 'huge space storm' will cause devastation, the world 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.
   
   I. How will this affect our computers?
   2. Anybody have advice on what we should do to protect our hard drives.
   3. How will you cope if there is no electricity for a period of time.

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   1. 72

      aguasilverposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Whoops, forgot the accreditation url:
      
      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/spac … ation.html
      
      Please read it and comment, this could seriously affect all of us.
      
      John

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         ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Oh God, it's Y2K all over again.  We've either got too many specialists around or most people don't have a clue, or heck maybe it's both.

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   2. 0

      sandra rinckposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Too much hype over hard drives but if you are lucky you might get to see an aurora. I am still wondering if I should use sunscreen though.  Besides, you would think it would have stuck by now given that they say it takes about 7 hours for solar flares to reach  Earth.  So where is it?

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      1. 87

         Patty Inglish, MSposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Yes! - we saw one in mid-Ohio about 4-5 years ago, all green, but way better and mroe colorful in mid-Michigan.

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   3. 0

      Twenty One Daysposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Should be an interesting event. Heard it was to go on for a few years, yes? Am awaiting the meteor showers this month and again in October.
      
      ps, back everything up to disk, would be safest thing to do.

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2. 68

   lrohnerposted 14 years ago

   The article says it will happen sometime in 2013. I think we have plenty of time to figure it out.

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   1. 86

      Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Oh, THAT Tuesday.   Good to know.
      
      But no, we probably will not have figured out anything.  Unplug and hope for the best, I guess.
      
      Lead capes, anyone?  Big sale on lead capes and drapes, this week only.

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      1. 72

         aguasilverposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Opps, wrong url again:
         
         http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/spac … earth.html
         
         Astronomers from all over the world witnessed the huge flare above a giant sunspot the size of the Earth, which they linked to an even larger eruption across the surface of Sun.
         The explosion, called a coronal mass ejection, was aimed directly towards Earth, which then sent a “solar tsunami” racing 93 million miles across space.
         Images from the SDO hint at a shock wave travelling from the flare into space, the New Scientist reported.
         Experts said the wave of supercharged gas will likely reach the Earth on Tuesday, when it will buffet the natural magnetic shield protecting Earth.
         It is likely to spark spectacular displays of the aurora or northern and southern lights.
         "This eruption is directed right at us," said Leon Golub, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA).
         "It's the first major Earth-directed eruption in quite some time."
         Scientists have warned that a really big solar eruption could destroy satellites and wreck power and communications grids around the globe if it happened today.
         Nasa recently warned that 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”.
         
         Unplug your rig... hmmm.... may be a bit more than that will be needed.
         
         John

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         1. 86

            Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            But there is nothing more that can be done.  We can't shoot it down!
            
            Unplug, hope for the best.  What will be will be.

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3. 84

   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   I found this when I put in a search.
   http://www.examiner.com/x-10722-Austin- … ed-our-way
   
   http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html

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4. 56

   leebertteaposted 14 years ago

   What can we do really? Humans have lived for a much long time without electricty than we have with electricty, so I guess we'll cope.

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5. 66

   Cheeky Girlposted 14 years ago

   Things written in the media tend to be exaggerated somewhat. Even if it happens, it might interfere with radio or phone communications, but that's about it - it won't be made into a Roland Emmerich film any time soon, that's for sure.

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6. 56

   Dame Scribeposted 14 years ago

   Wreck satellites ? well... may have to cancel my dish subscription huh

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7. 82

   Rafiniposted 14 years ago

   So, why will this Solar storm eruption thingy only affect Britain's power and communications systems?  I would think if something that major were coming toward earth it would affect the entire planet, not a single island/country...

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      camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That's what I was wondering, but I thought the article must have been written primarily for the British (in Britain, I mean).
      
      Well, if it really does happen, it will be quite interesting. And we can't do anything to stop it anyway ...

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8. 61

   Daniel Carterposted 14 years ago

   It might be a little over dramatized. Kinda like Y2K was when computers hit the year 2000. We rather didn't even blip over it. Then there's this Global Warming thing that is now being debunked to a level that it should have been in the beginning.
   
   The sky may be falling, but it's usually not cats and dogs. Just rain, snow, sleet and hail. A solar flare may be very real, but I don't think it would be as bad as the movie.
   
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikJ3t_tZf-E

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9. 60

   readytoescapeposted 14 years ago

   For more info on the extremely technical end Try this thread
   
   http://solarcycle24com.proboards.com/in … hread=1306
   
   
   From this website
   
   http://www.solarcycle24.com/

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10. 67

    vanchenposted 14 years ago

    Looks to me like we'll all just get a cool light show tonight.

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    1. 60

       readytoescapeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       From what I can interpret it will only be veiwable in the extreme latitudes both North and South, those closest to about 50 degrees and above

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11. 77

    Shadesbreathposted 14 years ago

    MAGNETIC FORCES WILL BE DISRUPTED?!?  DOES THIS MEAN ALL THE CRAP MY WIFE HAS ON OUR REFRIGERATOR IS GOING END UP ALL OVER THE KITCHEN FLOOR???????

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12. 65

    2uesdayposted 14 years ago

    It does not look like good news to me

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13. 79

    figmentposted 14 years ago

    Its all part of the 2012 prophecies

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14. 60

    ediggityposted 14 years ago

    Take out your piercings.  This is your final warning.

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    1. 79

       figmentposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       lmao

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15. 84

    rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

    I just saw this if anyone wants to stay up into the wee hours of the morning. http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/03/northe … ml?npt=NP1

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    1. 80

       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Wow! Thanks for that, Rebekah. I've just looked out northwards, but nothing can be seen yet ... I hope we will be able to see it here in Germany. There's been nothing about it here on the news.

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16. 88

    RedElfposted 14 years ago

    Setting up my digital camera - hoping to get some really great shots...Thanks guys!!!
    
    p.s. Also removing all fridge magnets and body jewelry, just to be on the safe side.
    
    

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17. 71

    waynetposted 14 years ago

    It's just supposed to be a light show or something....if it's not too cloudy I may camp out in the back yard and have a look whilst sipping some home made Scrumpy cider that has aged quite well if I do say so myself!

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    1. 60

       ediggityposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       A light show that will magnetically remove your face if you have fillings.

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       1. 71

          waynetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Jesus.........................I've got some cream buns with jam fillings, I better eat them now!!!

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    2. 80

       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Hmmm - just occurred to me that it's cloudy here, so I probably won't be able to see anything at all.

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       1. 71

          waynetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Boooooo....it's cloudy here too and the cider is cloudy too booooo!

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18. 64

    Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

    I have already warned my neighbors that if my TV signal goes out (or some other horrific catastrophe happens), then I will resort to cannibalism within 10 minutes.

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19. 64

    Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

    Isn't anyone worried about the black hole in Uranus??
    
    

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    1. 71

       waynetposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I'll have to look for the black hole in uranus, but I don't think I'll bother!

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20. 79

    figmentposted 14 years ago

    Here's another interesting article http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/sc … 6jul_ilws/

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21. 86

    Pcunixposted 14 years ago

    It hit HP 10 minutes ago.

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22. 80

    camloposted 14 years ago

    I missed it all together, in spite of being up until 5 this morning, facing a north window in my flat and messing about here on the Forums.
    It was cloudy ... I should have gone to bed. I'd feel a lot better for it today had I done.

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23. 64

    Wayne Orvisburgposted 14 years ago

    So when was this going to hit?

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    1. 80

       camloposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Sometime last night.
       
       Did it?

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24. 72

    lorlie6posted 14 years ago

    I'm a huge skeptic, however my hubby and I saw a 'falling star' of quite some magnitude last night.  It was blue in color and headed Southwest of the Sierra Nevada Range here in California.

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25. 70

    ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

    Blue, eh.  I forget which element or molecule burns blue when you heat it.  Copper?  I think that 'falling star' might have had a high content of copper.

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       china manposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I thought copper burns green?
       
       So I went and looked it up and only copper-chloride seems to burn blue - and naturally it is rated as very rare element.

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26. 70

    ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

    Huh, looks like you saw a pretty rare event lorlie.

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27. 72

    lorlie6posted 14 years ago

    It was so strange-we decided to sit outside at about 12 a.m. to watch the stars.  I initially thought I saw a shooting star, my husband looked where I'd indicated, and we both saw the blue 'streak.'  It was quite a dark blue and seemed to travel slowly compared to meteor showers I've seen in the past.
    Very cool!

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       mega1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       maybe it was a ufo headed for area 51 in Nevada!  no, seriously, I heard about this place where they're studying UFO's in Nevada called Area 51 and people have sited things like you saw!  check it out  http://www.angelfire.com/nv/mywebpage/area51.html
       
       
       doo doo doo doo!  dooo doo doo doo! 

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          lorlie6posted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Well, my friend, then it was going the wrong way-Nevada's East of here!   Siwwy awienz!

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    2. 70

       ledefensetechposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That reminds me of the spate of UFO sightings that became briefly popular in the late 19th century.  For years there were those who flatly denied that rocks from outside the atmosphere could fall to earth.  The resultant study and proof that rocks do indeed fall from the sky started a rash of UFO sightings that have been immortalized in works like War of the Worlds.  You saw a similar thing after World War I and the extensive use of the airplane, but even more after World War II as more and more people began looking up in the sky.  It just goes to show how wondrous the universe really is when you take the time to look around.

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