http://www.universetoday.com/14645/2012-no-killer-solar-flare/
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Jason <jedi_sp...@...> wrote: > > Massive solar storm to hit Earth in 2012 with > 'force of 100m bombs' > > Thu, Aug 26 12:50 PM > > Melbourne, Aug 26 (ANI): Astronomers are > predicting that a massive solar storm, much bigger > in potential than the one that caused spectacular > light shows on Earth earlier this month, is to > strike our planet in 2012 with a force of 100 > million hydrogen bombs. > > Several US media outlets have reported that NASA > was warning the massive flare this month was just > a precursor to a massive solar storm building that > had the potential to wipe out the entire planet's > power grid. > > Despite its rebuttal, NASA's been watching out for > this storm since 2006 and reports from the US this > week claim the storms could hit on that most > Hollywood of disaster dates - 2012. > > Similar storms back in 1859 and 1921 caused > worldwide chaos, wiping out telegraph wires on a > massive scale. The 2012 storm has the potential to > be even more disruptive. > > "The general consensus among general astronomers > (and certainly solar astronomers) is that this > coming Solar maximum (2012 but possibly later into > 2013) will be the most violent in 100 years," > News.com.au quoted astronomy lecturer and > columnist Dave Reneke as saying. > > "A bold statement and one taken seriously by those > it will affect most, namely airline companies, > communications companies and anyone working with > modern GPS systems. > > "They can even trip circuit breakers and knock out > orbiting satellites, as has already been done this > year," added Reneke. > > No one really knows what effect the 2012-2013 > Solar Max will have on today's digital-reliant > society. > > Dr Richard Fisher, director of NASA's Heliophysics > division, told Reneke the super storm would hit > like "a bolt of lightning", causing catastrophic > consequences for the world's health, emergency > services and national security unless precautions > are taken. > > NASA said that a recent report by the National > Academy of Sciences found that if a similar storm > occurred today, it could cause "1 to 2 trillion > dollars in damages to society's high-tech > infrastructure and require four to 10 years for > complete recovery". > > The reason for the concern comes as the sun enters > a phase known as Solar Cycle 24. > > Most experts agree, although those who put the > date of Solar Max in 2012 are getting the most > press. > > They claim satellites will be aged by 50 years, > rendering GPS even more useless than ever, and the > blast will have the equivalent energy of 100 > million hydrogen bombs. > > "We know it is coming but we don't know how bad it > is going to be," Fisher told Reneke. > > "Systems will just not work. The flares change the > magnetic field on the Earth and it's rapid, just > like a lightning bolt. That's the solar effect," > he added. > > The findings are published in the most recent > issue of Australasian Science. (ANI) > > >
