May 27, 2009
Mitch Battros reports:
Solar Cycle 24 has begun - and it has been predicted by NASA, NOAA and ESA to be up
to 50% stronger than its 'record breaking' predecessor Cycle 23 which produced the
largest solar flare ever recorded. The Sun will reach its 'apex' (maximum) in late 2011 into
2012.
"I believe it will be the magnetic influence produced by the Sun which will usher in what is
described by our ancient ancestors as "the transition" bringing us to a new state-of-being".
http://www.earthchangesmedia.com
May 10, 2009
Solar cycle 24 update HERE
March 27, 2009
Solar storm could cause planetary disaster at any time, warn scientists
Daily Mail, U.K. HERE.
January 12, 2009
As we discussed in the Complete Idiots Guide to 2012, cycle 24 can be trouble for 2012.
This week NASA has officially warned of possible catastrophic sun flare activity -
discussion document released.
December 2, 2008.
A New Sun Spells New Trouble.
Our Sun is muscling up again. According to NASA, solar cycle 24 is showing increased
activity. Considering that the Sun is to blame for some unfavorable climate changes on the
Earth, the coming decade could spell more trouble for our planet.
Link: Earth Changes TV at: http://www.earthchangesmedia.com/cgi-bin/artman2/search.cgi
..........................................
December 1, 2008
A solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole should reach Earth on Dec. 3rd or 4th.
Credit: SOHO Extreme UV
Link: http://spaceweather.com/
............................................
January 10, 2008. (Continued from Image above)
"On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of
Solar Cycle 24," says David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Doug Biesecker of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, likens
sunspot 981 "to the first robin of spring. There's still snow on the ground, but the seasons
are changing." Last year, Biesecker chaired the Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel, an
international group of experts from many universities and government agencies. "We
predicted that Solar Cycle 24 would begin around March 2008 and it looks like we weren't
far off," he says.
Right: The first auroras of the new solar cycle, photographed Jan. 4, 2008, by Calvin Hall
of Palmer, Alaska. [more]
The onset of a new solar cycle is significant because of our increasingly space-based
technological society.
"Solar storms can disable satellites that we depend on for weather forecasts and GPS
navigation," says Hathaway. Radio bursts from solar flares can directly interfere with cell
phone reception while coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hitting Earth can cause electrical
power outages. "The most famous example is the Quebec outage of 1989, which left some
Canadians without power for as much as six days."
Air travel can be affected, too.
Every year, intercontinental flights carry thousands of passengers over Earth’s poles. It's
the shortest distance between, say, New York and Tokyo or Beijing and Chicago. In 1999,
United Airlines made just twelve trips over the Arctic. By 2005, the number of flights had
ballooned to 1,402. Other airlines report similar growth.
"Solar storms have a big effect on polar regions of our planet," says Steve Hill of the Space
Weather Prediction Center. "When airplanes fly over the poles during solar storms, they
can experience radio blackouts, navigation errors and computer reboots all caused by
space radiation." Avoiding the poles during solar storms solves the problem, but it costs
extra time, money and fuel to "take the long way around."
Now for the good news: More solar storms also means more auroras—"the greatest show
on Earth." During the last solar maximum, Northern Lights were spotted as far south as
Arizona, Florida and California. Not so long ago, only visitors to the Arctic regularly
enjoyed auroras, but with increasing attention to space weather and constantly improving
forecasts, millions of people at all latitudes will know when to go out and look.
Much of this is still years away. "Intense solar activity won't begin immediately," notes
Hathaway. "Solar cycles usually take a few years to build from solar minimum (where we
are now) to Solar Max, expected in 2011 or 2012."
It's a slow journey, but we're on our way.
Link: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jan_solarcycle24.htm
................................................
CONSENSUS STATEMENT OF THE SOLAR CYCLE 24 PREDICTION PANEL
March 20, 2007
The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel anticipates the solar minimum marking the onset of
Cycle 24 will occur in March, 2008 (±6 months). The panel reached this conclusion due to
the absence of expected signatures of minimum-like conditions on the Sun at the time of
the panel meeting in March, 2007: there have been no high-latitude sunspots observed with
the expected Cycle 24 polarity; the configuration of the large scale white-light corona has
not yet relaxed to a simple dipole; the heliospheric current sheet has not yet flattened; and
activity measures, such as cosmic ray flux, radio flux, and sunspot number, have not yet
reached typical solar minimum values.
In light of the expected long interval until the onset of Cycle 24, the Prediction Panel has
been unable to resolve a sufficient number of questions to reach a single, consensus
prediction for the amplitude of the cycle. The deliberations of the panel supported two
possible peak amplitudes for the smoothed International Sunspot Number (Ri): Ri = 140
±20 and Ri = 90 ±10. Important questions to be resolved in the year following solar
minimum will lead to a consensus decision by the panel.
The panel agrees solar maximum will occur near October, 2011 for the large cycle
(Ri=140) case and August, 2012 for the small cycle (Ri=90) prediction.
Link: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/Statement_01.html
Additional NASA data: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/index.html
Mitch Battros reports:
Solar Cycle 24 has begun - and it has been predicted by NASA, NOAA and ESA to be up
to 50% stronger than its 'record breaking' predecessor Cycle 23 which produced the
largest solar flare ever recorded. The Sun will reach its 'apex' (maximum) in late 2011 into
2012.
"I believe it will be the magnetic influence produced by the Sun which will usher in what is
described by our ancient ancestors as "the transition" bringing us to a new state-of-being".
http://www.earthchangesmedia.com
May 10, 2009
Solar cycle 24 update HERE
March 27, 2009
Solar storm could cause planetary disaster at any time, warn scientists
Daily Mail, U.K. HERE.
January 12, 2009
As we discussed in the Complete Idiots Guide to 2012, cycle 24 can be trouble for 2012.
This week NASA has officially warned of possible catastrophic sun flare activity -
discussion document released.
December 2, 2008.
A New Sun Spells New Trouble.
Our Sun is muscling up again. According to NASA, solar cycle 24 is showing increased
activity. Considering that the Sun is to blame for some unfavorable climate changes on the
Earth, the coming decade could spell more trouble for our planet.
Link: Earth Changes TV at: http://www.earthchangesmedia.com/cgi-bin/artman2/search.cgi
..........................................
December 1, 2008
A solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole should reach Earth on Dec. 3rd or 4th.
Credit: SOHO Extreme UV
Link: http://spaceweather.com/
............................................
January 10, 2008. (Continued from Image above)
"On January 4, 2008, a reversed-polarity sunspot appeared—and this signals the start of
Solar Cycle 24," says David Hathaway of the Marshall Space Flight Center.
Doug Biesecker of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, likens
sunspot 981 "to the first robin of spring. There's still snow on the ground, but the seasons
are changing." Last year, Biesecker chaired the Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel, an
international group of experts from many universities and government agencies. "We
predicted that Solar Cycle 24 would begin around March 2008 and it looks like we weren't
far off," he says.
Right: The first auroras of the new solar cycle, photographed Jan. 4, 2008, by Calvin Hall
of Palmer, Alaska. [more]
The onset of a new solar cycle is significant because of our increasingly space-based
technological society.
"Solar storms can disable satellites that we depend on for weather forecasts and GPS
navigation," says Hathaway. Radio bursts from solar flares can directly interfere with cell
phone reception while coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hitting Earth can cause electrical
power outages. "The most famous example is the Quebec outage of 1989, which left some
Canadians without power for as much as six days."
Air travel can be affected, too.
Every year, intercontinental flights carry thousands of passengers over Earth’s poles. It's
the shortest distance between, say, New York and Tokyo or Beijing and Chicago. In 1999,
United Airlines made just twelve trips over the Arctic. By 2005, the number of flights had
ballooned to 1,402. Other airlines report similar growth.
"Solar storms have a big effect on polar regions of our planet," says Steve Hill of the Space
Weather Prediction Center. "When airplanes fly over the poles during solar storms, they
can experience radio blackouts, navigation errors and computer reboots all caused by
space radiation." Avoiding the poles during solar storms solves the problem, but it costs
extra time, money and fuel to "take the long way around."
Now for the good news: More solar storms also means more auroras—"the greatest show
on Earth." During the last solar maximum, Northern Lights were spotted as far south as
Arizona, Florida and California. Not so long ago, only visitors to the Arctic regularly
enjoyed auroras, but with increasing attention to space weather and constantly improving
forecasts, millions of people at all latitudes will know when to go out and look.
Much of this is still years away. "Intense solar activity won't begin immediately," notes
Hathaway. "Solar cycles usually take a few years to build from solar minimum (where we
are now) to Solar Max, expected in 2011 or 2012."
It's a slow journey, but we're on our way.
Link: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/10jan_solarcycle24.htm
................................................
CONSENSUS STATEMENT OF THE SOLAR CYCLE 24 PREDICTION PANEL
March 20, 2007
The Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel anticipates the solar minimum marking the onset of
Cycle 24 will occur in March, 2008 (±6 months). The panel reached this conclusion due to
the absence of expected signatures of minimum-like conditions on the Sun at the time of
the panel meeting in March, 2007: there have been no high-latitude sunspots observed with
the expected Cycle 24 polarity; the configuration of the large scale white-light corona has
not yet relaxed to a simple dipole; the heliospheric current sheet has not yet flattened; and
activity measures, such as cosmic ray flux, radio flux, and sunspot number, have not yet
reached typical solar minimum values.
In light of the expected long interval until the onset of Cycle 24, the Prediction Panel has
been unable to resolve a sufficient number of questions to reach a single, consensus
prediction for the amplitude of the cycle. The deliberations of the panel supported two
possible peak amplitudes for the smoothed International Sunspot Number (Ri): Ri = 140
±20 and Ri = 90 ±10. Important questions to be resolved in the year following solar
minimum will lead to a consensus decision by the panel.
The panel agrees solar maximum will occur near October, 2011 for the large cycle
(Ri=140) case and August, 2012 for the small cycle (Ri=90) prediction.
Link: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/Statement_01.html
Additional NASA data: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/index.html
The Sun's activity and the all
important cycle 24 has started.
important cycle 24 has started.
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Above: Images of the first sunspot of Solar Cycle 24 taken by the NASA/ESA Solar and
Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). [Larger image] [Movie]
Solar activity waxes and wanes in 11-year cycles. Lately, we've been experiencing the low
ebb, "very few flares, sunspots, or activity of any kind," says Hathaway. "Solar minimum
is upon us."
The previous solar cycle, Solar Cycle 23, peaked in 2000-2002 with many furious solar
storms. That cycle decayed as usual to the present quiet leaving solar physicists little to do
other than wonder, when would the next cycle begin?
Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery
The answer is now.
"New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot," explains
Hathaway. "Reversed polarity" means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared
to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. "High-latitude" refers to the sun's grid of latitude
and longitude. Old cycle spots congregate near the sun's equator. New cycle spots appear
higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude.
The sunspot that appeared on January 4th fits both these criteria. It was high latitude (30
degrees N) and magnetically reversed. NOAA named the spot AR10981, or "sunspot 981"
for short.
Sunspot 981 was small--only about as wide as Earth, which counts as small on the grand
scale of the sun--and it has already faded away. But its three day appearance on Jan. 4-6
was enough to convince most solar physicists that Solar Cycle 24 is underway.
For the remainder of this report, jump to January 10, 2008 below
................................................
Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). [Larger image] [Movie]
Solar activity waxes and wanes in 11-year cycles. Lately, we've been experiencing the low
ebb, "very few flares, sunspots, or activity of any kind," says Hathaway. "Solar minimum
is upon us."
The previous solar cycle, Solar Cycle 23, peaked in 2000-2002 with many furious solar
storms. That cycle decayed as usual to the present quiet leaving solar physicists little to do
other than wonder, when would the next cycle begin?
Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery
The answer is now.
"New solar cycles always begin with a high-latitude, reversed polarity sunspot," explains
Hathaway. "Reversed polarity" means a sunspot with opposite magnetic polarity compared
to sunspots from the previous solar cycle. "High-latitude" refers to the sun's grid of latitude
and longitude. Old cycle spots congregate near the sun's equator. New cycle spots appear
higher, around 25 or 30 degrees latitude.
The sunspot that appeared on January 4th fits both these criteria. It was high latitude (30
degrees N) and magnetically reversed. NOAA named the spot AR10981, or "sunspot 981"
for short.
Sunspot 981 was small--only about as wide as Earth, which counts as small on the grand
scale of the sun--and it has already faded away. But its three day appearance on Jan. 4-6
was enough to convince most solar physicists that Solar Cycle 24 is underway.
For the remainder of this report, jump to January 10, 2008 below
................................................
N.A.S.A. and Prof Michio Kaku now on the same page as The Complete
Idiots Guide to 2012: Solar Cycle 24 which was predicted by them as
being quiet now agree there is potential for 2012 to be very serious.
January 2, 2010.
By Colin Andrews
Ironically on November 13 2009 Synthia and I as co-authors of the book The Complete
Idiots Guide to 2012 were invited onto Fox and Friends national television show to discuss
the book and what implications we thought there were associatedf with the 2012 Mayan
Prophecy. This was to be a lead into the launch of the movie 2012, launched the next day.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2009/11/09/truth-doomsday-hype/
Logistics and timing meant the slot was in fact filled by Prof Michio Kaku.
The Professor appeared live and as expected debunked 2012 in its entirety and finally laughed
saying ‘I would not quit your day job”.
In a 360 degree turn around NASA and Prof. Kaku appearing in a much more serious
demenor now with an unusualy off balance presenter Bill Hemmor to say:
“…………You see us scientists made a mistake, we thought that the next solar cycles
was going to be quiet. Well some of our data was off by a factor of 20 and that’s why
we are issuing this alert now. We made a mistake, the next cycle (24) peaking around
2012 WILL BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN WE PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
Now in the past we dodged the bullet because we didn’t have that many satellites up
there 11, 22 years ago. Back in 1990 we didn’t have that many space satellites up
there…… Lets hope this is a dud, lets hope nothing happens, however what if, what if
our communication satellites are wiped out billions of business activities could be
jeopardized”……..
This statement now puts NASA back to where they were when we researched for the book
and as we reported on page 197 of the book - also see The 2012 debate on this website.
==========
The gambit of announcements:
Dec 21 2006 – Cycle 24 is going to be very big:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm
Jan 9 2009 – Power Grid could be closed down for months or years:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478024,00.html
May 29, 2009 – Cycle 24 will be quietest since 1928:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/29may_noaaprediction.htm
Idiots Guide to 2012: Solar Cycle 24 which was predicted by them as
being quiet now agree there is potential for 2012 to be very serious.
January 2, 2010.
By Colin Andrews
Ironically on November 13 2009 Synthia and I as co-authors of the book The Complete
Idiots Guide to 2012 were invited onto Fox and Friends national television show to discuss
the book and what implications we thought there were associatedf with the 2012 Mayan
Prophecy. This was to be a lead into the launch of the movie 2012, launched the next day.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2009/11/09/truth-doomsday-hype/
Logistics and timing meant the slot was in fact filled by Prof Michio Kaku.
The Professor appeared live and as expected debunked 2012 in its entirety and finally laughed
saying ‘I would not quit your day job”.
In a 360 degree turn around NASA and Prof. Kaku appearing in a much more serious
demenor now with an unusualy off balance presenter Bill Hemmor to say:
“…………You see us scientists made a mistake, we thought that the next solar cycles
was going to be quiet. Well some of our data was off by a factor of 20 and that’s why
we are issuing this alert now. We made a mistake, the next cycle (24) peaking around
2012 WILL BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN WE PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.
Now in the past we dodged the bullet because we didn’t have that many satellites up
there 11, 22 years ago. Back in 1990 we didn’t have that many space satellites up
there…… Lets hope this is a dud, lets hope nothing happens, however what if, what if
our communication satellites are wiped out billions of business activities could be
jeopardized”……..
This statement now puts NASA back to where they were when we researched for the book
and as we reported on page 197 of the book - also see The 2012 debate on this website.
==========
The gambit of announcements:
Dec 21 2006 – Cycle 24 is going to be very big:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/21dec_cycle24.htm
Jan 9 2009 – Power Grid could be closed down for months or years:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,478024,00.html
May 29, 2009 – Cycle 24 will be quietest since 1928:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/29may_noaaprediction.htm
| First Registered M-Class Solar Flare just took place (Cycle 24) M2.3 Solar Flare / Eastern Limb 01/19/2010 by Kevin VE3EN at 13:55 M2.3 Flare - The first registered M-Class flare of Cycle 24 has taken place at 13:41 UTC Tuesday around the new region about to rotate into view on the Eastern Limb. Several C-Class flares have taken place as well. This event did cause a G1 Radio Blackout according to NOAA. M2.3 Captured by STEREO Behind (Tuesday) http://solarcycle24.com/ |
| Solar X-rays: Geomagnetic Field: |
|
Status of the Sun updated every ten minutes
| Real-Time Magnetosphere Simulation HERE |
Wow! The Sun has become hyper-dynamic the past few days.
February 7, 2010
Solar active region 1045 has grown at an extraordinary rate the past 48 hours and has unleashed
multiple solar flares including a major M6 x-ray flare on Feb. 7, 2010 at 0230 UT. Below are photos
of region 1045 taken at 2058 UT on Feb 6, 2010 during an M1.6 x-ray flare.
There have been many radio bursts as well. Below are some specimens captured on our decametric
radio telescope array here in New Mexico.
http://spaceweather.com/images2010/08feb10/midi512_blank.gif?PHPSESSID=50iastcn1p77lh58ud1
o9e3ao3
February 7, 2010
Solar active region 1045 has grown at an extraordinary rate the past 48 hours and has unleashed
multiple solar flares including a major M6 x-ray flare on Feb. 7, 2010 at 0230 UT. Below are photos
of region 1045 taken at 2058 UT on Feb 6, 2010 during an M1.6 x-ray flare.
There have been many radio bursts as well. Below are some specimens captured on our decametric
radio telescope array here in New Mexico.
http://spaceweather.com/images2010/08feb10/midi512_blank.gif?PHPSESSID=50iastcn1p77lh58ud1
o9e3ao3
| Region 1045 revved up in last few hours. ============================================================= |
| POPULATION CLIMATE HUMAN HEALTH ECONOMY ENVIRONMENT TEMPERATURE SOLAR EARTH CHANGES |
| THE 2012 DEBATE - SOLAR CYCLE 24 |
by Claudine Zap
Don't be alarmed. High above your heads, a zombie satellite is on the loose. OK, actually, it won't
really be a bother to us earthlings. Or at least to most of us. (More on that later.) But the rogue
communications satellite is wreaking havoc in Earth's orbit and does threaten to interfere with
signals coming from other satellites. Here's the backstory...
The communications satellite named Galaxy 15 lost contact with ground control after a solar flare
probably fried its brain. As a story from the Christian Science Monitor reports, attempts from Earth
to contact the satellite have been unsuccessful. But instead of just dying and drifting off, the satellite
has continued to orbit the Earth, even though it refuses to receive instructions from its owner,
Intelsat.
For the science nerds out there: The satellite is still on, with its "C-band telecommunications
payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude
36,000 kilometers over the equator." Translation: Not good.
What's confounding scientists is that even though the satellite is toast, it continues to operate at full
power, but with nobody telling it what to do. Why on earth we should care: The "zombiesat" (as its
known in space talk) could steal a working sat signal, and interrupt programming for its customers.
Yes, that means our television programs. The horror. As the blog Boing Boing points out, Galaxy 15
was one of the satellites that carried the Syfy channel's signal. And now it's met an end good
enough to be its own Syfy show.
The Galaxy 15 is on course to mess with an SES satellite that transmits to Luxembourg. If it's any
consolation to the good people of Luxembourg, officials are calling the situation "unprecedented."
The undead satellite has caused searches for "galaxy 15 satellite" to rise an astronomical 10,300% in
the last week. Searches were also out of this world for "nasa satellite imagery," "satellite photo,"
and "nasa satellites." It's also caused people to wonder "how many satellites are in space." Not
enough to bump into each other. Yet.
Item today from : HERE.
Don't be alarmed. High above your heads, a zombie satellite is on the loose. OK, actually, it won't
really be a bother to us earthlings. Or at least to most of us. (More on that later.) But the rogue
communications satellite is wreaking havoc in Earth's orbit and does threaten to interfere with
signals coming from other satellites. Here's the backstory...
The communications satellite named Galaxy 15 lost contact with ground control after a solar flare
probably fried its brain. As a story from the Christian Science Monitor reports, attempts from Earth
to contact the satellite have been unsuccessful. But instead of just dying and drifting off, the satellite
has continued to orbit the Earth, even though it refuses to receive instructions from its owner,
Intelsat.
For the science nerds out there: The satellite is still on, with its "C-band telecommunications
payload still functioning even as it has left its assigned orbital slot of 133 degrees west longitude
36,000 kilometers over the equator." Translation: Not good.
What's confounding scientists is that even though the satellite is toast, it continues to operate at full
power, but with nobody telling it what to do. Why on earth we should care: The "zombiesat" (as its
known in space talk) could steal a working sat signal, and interrupt programming for its customers.
Yes, that means our television programs. The horror. As the blog Boing Boing points out, Galaxy 15
was one of the satellites that carried the Syfy channel's signal. And now it's met an end good
enough to be its own Syfy show.
The Galaxy 15 is on course to mess with an SES satellite that transmits to Luxembourg. If it's any
consolation to the good people of Luxembourg, officials are calling the situation "unprecedented."
The undead satellite has caused searches for "galaxy 15 satellite" to rise an astronomical 10,300% in
the last week. Searches were also out of this world for "nasa satellite imagery," "satellite photo,"
and "nasa satellites." It's also caused people to wonder "how many satellites are in space." Not
enough to bump into each other. Yet.
Item today from : HERE.
Note by Colin Andrews
ZOMBIE SATELLITE THREATENS OTHER CRAFT - Satellite Galaxy 15 lost contact with
ground control after a solar flare probably fried its brain.
Solar Cycle 24 already causing problems with still two years to its peak and what some, including
NASA and the Mayan Prophecy, fear big problems for Earth's electrical and electronic circuits.
----------------------
ZOMBIE SATELLITE THREATENS OTHER CRAFT - Satellite Galaxy 15 lost contact with
ground control after a solar flare probably fried its brain.
Solar Cycle 24 already causing problems with still two years to its peak and what some, including
NASA and the Mayan Prophecy, fear big problems for Earth's electrical and electronic circuits.
----------------------
| A Satellite "goes rogue" and Inexplicably Begins Stealing Other Communications Signals. |
More Active Sun Means Nasty Solar Storms Ahead
space.com – Wed Jun 9, 6:00 pm ET
The sun is about to get a lot more active, which could have ill effects on Earth. So to prepare, top sun
scientists met Tuesday to discuss the best ways to protect Earth's satellites and other vital systems from the
coming solar storms.
Solar storms occur when sunspots on our star erupt and spew out flumes of charged particles that can
damage power systems. The sun's activity typically follows an 11-year cycle, and it looks to be coming out
of a slump and gearing up for an active period.
"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher
levels of solar activity," said Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same
time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The
intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss."
Fisher and other experts met at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum, which took place in Washington, D.C.,
at the National Press Club.
Bad news for gizmos
People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. But smart power grids, GPS
navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by
intense solar activity.
A major solar storm could cause twenty 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." [Photos: Sun storms.]
Luckily, much of the damage can be mitigated if managers know a storm is coming. That's why better
understanding of solar weather, and the ability to give advance warning, is especially important.
Putting satellites in 'safe mode' and disconnecting transformers can protect electronics from damaging
electrical surges.
"Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy, but we're making rapid progress," said Thomas Bogdan,
director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center
in Boulder, Colo.
Eyes on the sun
NASA and NOAA work together to manage a fleet of satellites that monitor the sun and help to predict its
changes.
A pair of spacecraft called STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is stationed on opposite sides
of the sun, offering a combined view of 90 percent of the solar surface. In addition, SDO (the Solar
Dynamics Observatory), which just launched in February 2010, is able to photograph solar active regions
with unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution. Also, an old satellite called the Advanced
Composition Explorer (ACE), which launched in 1997, is still chugging along monitoring winds coming off
the sun. And there are dozens more dedicated to solar science.
"I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives
as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher said. "We take this very seriously indeed."
Gallery: Hyperactive Sun
Video - How Space Storms Wreak Havoc on Earth
Gallery: Solar Storms
Original Story: More Active Sun Means Nasty Solar Storms Ahead
SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as
astronomy, technology, business news and more.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100609/sc_space/moreactivesunmeansnastysolarstormsahead
=============================
150 Years Ago: The Worst Solar Storm Ever
By Robert Roy Britt
Editorial Director
posted: 02 September 2009
09:40 am ET
On Sept. 2, 1859, an incredible storm of charged particles sent by the sun slammed into Earth's atmosphere,
overpowered it, and caused havoc on the ground. Telegraph wires, the high-tech stuff of the time, suddenly
shorted out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires. Colorful aurora, normally visible only
in polar regions, were seen as far south as Cuba and Hawaii.
Earth's magnetic field normally protects the surface of the planet from some storms. In 1859, the planet's
defenses were totally overwhelmed. Over the past decade, similar but less powerful storms have likewise
busted through, giving scientists insight into what will eventually happen again.
The outlook is not rosy.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090902-1859-solar-storm.html
=======================
space.com – Wed Jun 9, 6:00 pm ET
The sun is about to get a lot more active, which could have ill effects on Earth. So to prepare, top sun
scientists met Tuesday to discuss the best ways to protect Earth's satellites and other vital systems from the
coming solar storms.
Solar storms occur when sunspots on our star erupt and spew out flumes of charged particles that can
damage power systems. The sun's activity typically follows an 11-year cycle, and it looks to be coming out
of a slump and gearing up for an active period.
"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher
levels of solar activity," said Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same
time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The
intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss."
Fisher and other experts met at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum, which took place in Washington, D.C.,
at the National Press Club.
Bad news for gizmos
People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. But smart power grids, GPS
navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by
intense solar activity.
A major solar storm could cause twenty 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." [Photos: Sun storms.]
Luckily, much of the damage can be mitigated if managers know a storm is coming. That's why better
understanding of solar weather, and the ability to give advance warning, is especially important.
Putting satellites in 'safe mode' and disconnecting transformers can protect electronics from damaging
electrical surges.
"Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy, but we're making rapid progress," said Thomas Bogdan,
director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center
in Boulder, Colo.
Eyes on the sun
NASA and NOAA work together to manage a fleet of satellites that monitor the sun and help to predict its
changes.
A pair of spacecraft called STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) is stationed on opposite sides
of the sun, offering a combined view of 90 percent of the solar surface. In addition, SDO (the Solar
Dynamics Observatory), which just launched in February 2010, is able to photograph solar active regions
with unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution. Also, an old satellite called the Advanced
Composition Explorer (ACE), which launched in 1997, is still chugging along monitoring winds coming off
the sun. And there are dozens more dedicated to solar science.
"I believe we're on the threshold of a new era in which space weather can be as influential in our daily lives
as ordinary terrestrial weather." Fisher said. "We take this very seriously indeed."
Gallery: Hyperactive Sun
Video - How Space Storms Wreak Havoc on Earth
Gallery: Solar Storms
Original Story: More Active Sun Means Nasty Solar Storms Ahead
SPACE.com offers rich and compelling content about space science, travel and exploration as well as
astronomy, technology, business news and more.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20100609/sc_space/moreactivesunmeansnastysolarstormsahead
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150 Years Ago: The Worst Solar Storm Ever
By Robert Roy Britt
Editorial Director
posted: 02 September 2009
09:40 am ET
On Sept. 2, 1859, an incredible storm of charged particles sent by the sun slammed into Earth's atmosphere,
overpowered it, and caused havoc on the ground. Telegraph wires, the high-tech stuff of the time, suddenly
shorted out in the United States and Europe, igniting widespread fires. Colorful aurora, normally visible only
in polar regions, were seen as far south as Cuba and Hawaii.
Earth's magnetic field normally protects the surface of the planet from some storms. In 1859, the planet's
defenses were totally overwhelmed. Over the past decade, similar but less powerful storms have likewise
busted through, giving scientists insight into what will eventually happen again.
The outlook is not rosy.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090902-1859-solar-storm.html
=======================
| A reminder that we wrote about the concerns of solar cycle 24 in our book The Complete Idiots Guide to 2012. |
Click book to order
| Colin Andrews quote from UK Government briefing: In less than ten seconds the entire planet's electrical infrastructure could be destroyed and take up to fifteen years to repair. ............. Richard Fisher at NASA: "The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity," said Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss." - read opposite. ................... More evidence to support the contents of our book The Complete Idiots Guide to 2012 and the Mayan Prophecy. "This is much more than prophecy, its an understanding of natural cycles and science" - Colin Andrews.. |
| In 1989, energized particles from coronal mass ejections (CME) on the solar surface bombarded Earth, knocking satellites out of orbit and disrupting communications networks. In Canada, a power surge triggered by a CME damaged a power grid, leaving 6 million people in Quebec and the northeastern United States without power for more than nine hours. Source. |
NASA and Governments Worried That Cycle 24 Could put us back 100 Years
| Solar Storm Could Cause Serious Problems NASA Say - Meeting called to discuss precautions HERE Updated - June 14, 2010 |
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Space Weather Turns into an International Problem
July 16, 2010: Sometimes a problem is so big, one country cannot handle it alone.
That's the message scientists are delivering at today's International Living with a Star (ILWS) meeting
in Bremen, Germany, and representatives from more than 25 of the world's most technologically-
advanced nations have gathered to hear what they have to say.
"The problem is solar storms—figuring out how to predict them and stay safe from their effects," says
ILWS Chairperson Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters. "We need to make progress on this
before the next solar maximum arrives around 2013." Full article by NASA HERE
July 16, 2010: Sometimes a problem is so big, one country cannot handle it alone.
That's the message scientists are delivering at today's International Living with a Star (ILWS) meeting
in Bremen, Germany, and representatives from more than 25 of the world's most technologically-
advanced nations have gathered to hear what they have to say.
"The problem is solar storms—figuring out how to predict them and stay safe from their effects," says
ILWS Chairperson Lika Guhathakurta of NASA headquarters. "We need to make progress on this
before the next solar maximum arrives around 2013." Full article by NASA HERE
Thanks to Jan Delgado for sending this article.