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NASA Images Massive Solar Flare
An anonymous reader writes: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, has sent back pictures of a massive, X-class solar flare. The X-class flares are the strongest, and this one received an X2.7 rating. It wasn't pointed at us, and there was no notable harm done, but there was a brief radio blackout (and a burst of static) over the Pacific Ocean and western North America.
This flare follows news of a presentation (PDF) from the Space Weather Workshop that there is evidence for a phenomenon known as a "superflare", which can be up to a thousand times stronger than the flares we routinely see. Such behavior is seen in other stars, and may be expected from the Sun once every 10,000 years, on average.
This flare follows news of a presentation (PDF) from the Space Weather Workshop that there is evidence for a phenomenon known as a "superflare", which can be up to a thousand times stronger than the flares we routinely see. Such behavior is seen in other stars, and may be expected from the Sun once every 10,000 years, on average.
Probably not complete destruction, yet. We're only now at a point where we're so dependent on techology that would be affected by such a flare that it could be devastating, and even then, only if we're so completely unprepared as to have nothing shielded at all.
Perhaps that's one of the few good things to come out of the Cold War, we were afraid enough of EMP from nuclear weapons that there's a lot of things that are hardened or semi-hardened that might survive a hit. Plus there's a decent chance that we wouldn't be directly struck anyway.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I don't think a super-flare would have much effect on a pre-electronic civilization. It might start a new religion because of super-intense auroras.
The fear of the civilization ending EMP is greatly over exaggerated.
Sure it could be a major problem. However it won't lead to the dystopian future.
Because we humans seem to know how the technology we made works. So we can rebuild it. Also there will not 100% destruction. I have seen equiptment struck by lightning. And suffered only partial failures. (A network rack where the Upper ports may not work.).
In short such an event would knock mankind back 2 months.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.