are giant bubbles of ionized gas. If Earth is caught in their crosshairs, they can induce electric currents that surge into pipelines, cables and electrical transformers.
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Coronal mass ejections (CMEs)
are giant bubbles of ionized gas. If Earth is caught in their crosshairs, they can induce electric currents that surge into pipelines, cables and electrical transformers.
Image:
The solar superstorm of 1859 was the fiercest ever recorded. Auroras filled the sky as far south as the Caribbean, magnetic compasses went haywire and telegraph systems failed.
Ice cores suggest that such a blast of solar particles happens only once every 500 years, but even the storms every 50 years could fry satellites, jam radios and cause coast-to-coast blackouts.
The cost of such an event justifies more systematic solar monitoring and beefier protection for satellites and the power grid.
The authors have reconstructed what happened in 1859, based in part on similar (though less intense) events seen by modern satellites. UTC is Coordinated Universal Time—basically, Greenwich Mean Time.
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6 Comments
Add Comment>>If Earth is caught in their crosshairs, they can induce electric currents that surge into pipelines, cables and electrical transformers. <<
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this...not to mention, it can turn four intrepid astronauts into the First Family of superheroes...The Fantastic Four!
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Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUnfortunately it took some two thousand years to get back to our ancient (Greek, Arabic, Roman) approach to the near universe, clouded over by rom. cath. too often fanatical religiosity. Still the pope (Herr Ratzinger from Rosenheim) maintains that Gott der Vater, Jesus & not to forget zee Heiliger Geist are waiting for all good-doers. Looking at statistics, we loose 80% of the US population to the Savior in Heaven comic strip. Don't wait for Herr Ratzinger to comment on fusion flare-ups, quasars, black holes, warped space, supernovas, meteorites or any other phenomenon we regularly measure today. Religion has always, and always will, hindered man in his search for understanding. Its been Heaven vs. the universe, with 80% of the population still cheering for Heaven.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs it possible that a coronal mass ejection could be strong enough to cause a reversal of the earth's magnetic field? The power law that applies to other natural phenomena would suggest that a half million year event could be a thousand times stronger than a five hundred year event - would this be enough?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave you ever seen somebody lick the chutney spoon in an Indian Restaurant and put it back? This would never have happened under the Tories.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI invite all visitors to read my webpage. Unfortunately, it is written into Spanish language, very soon will be available into English languagehttp://reinadelsur07012008.tripod.com
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