Slashdot Mirror


Solar Flare Interference From 45k Lightyears Away

Wan2Be writes "Nasa has a story about a solar flare on Aug. 27 that affected our planet with radio bounces and blackouts - but it wasn't from old Sol, it was from SGR 1900+14, a neutron star about 45,000 light years away. "

10 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Have they got the numbers right ? by Krapangor · · Score: 2, Funny

    The energy of a radition source is decreasing with the cubic of the distance as everybody here surely knows. Now taking into account the vast distance a trivial calculations gives a huge amount of energy released at x=0. When you now take Einsteins formula for mass E=m*c^2 you see easily that the released enery equals the adverage mass of 2.3 neutron stars of brightness class M.
    I doubt that NASA got their calculations right otherwise we would have 2 large neutron stars (a neutron star and a anti-neutron star) colliding and annihilating here. That's a little unlikely.
    Perhaps they tried again to use metric units ;-).

    --
    Owner of a Mensa membership card.
  2. So Thats why.... by DigitalReligion · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...I'm getting crappy wifi signals!

  3. 45,000 light years away? by Trigun · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why didn't we see this coming? Did the scientists need an extra week or something?

  4. Country?? by FrostedWheat · · Score: 5, Funny

    The station faded--a blackout--and was moments later replaced by country music

    The universe has a sick sence of humour! High-energy solar flares are one thing, but country music? That's just cruel!

  5. Lame joke excuse! by Gavin+Rogers · · Score: 2, Funny

    So... something new happens that could knock us all offli@%#&$* NO CARRIER

  6. When you are driving home... by OneOver137 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "in the middle of the night and, unexpectedly, a country tune blares out of your radio, you might wonder ... did a magnetar do that?" Or do you just have poor taste in music?

  7. Re:Just to clear something up by saynte · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, if a person were to get picky, it happened August 27th, 45,000 years ago :D

  8. Re:Just to clear something up by snake_dad · · Score: 2, Funny

    And, if a person were to get real picky, it happened August 27th, 45,005 years ago :>

    --
    karma capped .sig seeking available Slashdot poster for long-term relationship.
  9. Solar Flare? by Xetrov · · Score: 2, Funny

    How can it be a SOLar flare if it isn't from Sol?

    Grr, slashdot is too Sol-centric...

  10. Re:Just to clear something up by Vexalith · · Score: 3, Funny
    if one assume Warp 9 is possible


    That's quite an assumption!