Huge Sunspot Causes Concern at NASA

[indigobusiness]

We might get blasted....not a nice thought...



Sunspot Grows to 20 Times Size of Earth
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 05:10 pm ET
23 July 2004


A sunspot group aimed squarely at Earth has grown to 20 times the size of our planet and has the potential to unleash a major solar storm.

snip

"The implications of this spot have scientists on the edge of their seats," NASA said in a statement Friday. "If the active region generates coronal mass ejections (CMEs), massive explosions with a potential force of a billion megaton bombs, it will be a fairly direct hit to Earth and its satellites and power grids."

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/hugesunspots_040723.html

[Newsjock]

1. And you thought ...

... Karl Rove didn't have massive power at his command.

[indigobusiness]

2. this might make him wet his pants

[smirkymonkey]

3. So what exactly could happen?

What is the worst case scenario?

[soothsayer]

5. fries satellites, disrupts power grids

hopefully it doesn't give us all cancer...!

According to spaceweather.com:

"A solar flare is an explosion on the Sun that happens when energy stored in twisted magnetic fields (usually above sunspots) is suddenly released. Flares produce a burst of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to x-rays and gamma-rays.

Scientists classify solar flares according to their x-ray brightness in the wavelength range 1 to 8 Angstroms. There are 3 categories: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. M-class flares are medium-sized; they generally cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth."

[Soloflecks]

7. It wouldn't be pretty!

I saw a science program about how a CME could short out our magnetic field causing it to collapse. There's speculation that this happened to Mars. Our atmosphere wouldn't just blow away all at once but would then be leached away as we're buffeted by solar winds. Failure of our magnetic shield would be serious. If not this worst case scenario then we could expect failure of satellites and communication systems at the very least.

[indigobusiness]

8. I saw a computer model of a flare that crossed Earth's path

a little while back. It showed the flare compressing the magnetic field, and the atmosphere, al the way to the planet's surface. Exposing an area of Earth to the vagaries of Solar "weather".

We "missed it by that much". Just lucky, I guess. This time.

[Spinzonner]

4. Nah, it'll probably only affect Cleveland

[indigobusiness]

6. Or maybe...

Cleveland will be the only place that doesn't notice any difference..

[Spinzonner]

9. Nah, Cleveland always gets it

just Google "that ate Cleveland" and you'll see

[indigobusiness]

10. I'm not saying it won't get it

just that it won't notice.