Scientists Predict Big Solar Cycle

An anonymous reader pointed us at a post on the Physorg blog, which discusses the possibility of an upcoming period of intense solar weather. We've discussed this before, but increasingly the evidence looks like 'Solar Cycle 24' (due to start in 2010 or so) is going to make life interesting here on earth. From the post: "Hathaway explains: 'When a gust of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic field, the impact causes the magnetic field to shake. If it shakes hard enough, we call it a geomagnetic storm.' In the extreme, these storms cause power outages and make compass needles swing in the wrong direction. Auroras are a beautiful side-effect. Hathaway and Wilson looked at records of geomagnetic activity stretching back almost 150 years and noticed something useful:. 'The amount of geomagnetic activity now tells us what the solar cycle is going to be like 6 to 8 years in the future,' says Hathaway."

Comments

Solar Cycle 24

[The Living Fractal]

Hmm, is that the cycle where we see one day of the Sun's life, and during that day the sun gets shot multiple times, saves the president, arrests the president later, gets beaten mercilessly, heals completely, and saves the girl, all in one day.. Or am I confusing this with something else...?

TLF

Re:Solar Cycle 24

[The Living Fractal]

Yes, but if Chuck Norris simply sneezes the Solar Flare will be pushed back. It's just too bad Chuck Norris never gets sick and has no allergies. Jack Bauer, you win this round.

TLF

Re:Solar Cycle 24

[The Living Fractal]

So what you're telling me is to buy stock in a corporation, and probably one that produces sun tan lotion?

TLF

Re:Damn them solarians!

[DevelopersDevelopers]

Calm down. It may look like Slashdot doesn't care about the plight of the Solarians right now, but I swear we'll pledge our support just as soon as the Sun releases them under the GPL.