Posted on 11/08/2011 11:27:48 AM PST by blam
NOAA Warns of Monster Solar Storm Region Facing Earth for Next Two Weeks; Fully Capable of Producing X-Class Flares
Mac Slavo
November 8th, 2011
SHTFplan.com
Last Thursday the sun produced an X1.9 rated solar flare that narrowly missed Earth. Although it wasn’t aimed directly at us, about 45 minutes after leaving the sun it was still powerful enough to disrupt radio communications.
Now, that same area responsible for producing the X-class flare may pose a direct threat to Earth.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center says that the region on the sun known as AR11339 and affectionately called the “Benevolent Monster” will set its sights on Earth. It will move into a position that poses the largest risk to our planet around November 9th, 2011 and remain on a direct line of sight with earth for the following two (2) weeks as it rotates:
Scientists at the federal Space Weather Prediction Center say that area is the most active part of the sun since 2005. It has dozens of sunspots, including one that is the size of 17 Earths.
…
“It’s still growing. The size is what blows me away.”
Thursday’s flare wasn’t aimed at Earth. However, this active region is now slowly turning toward Earth, and scientists say it will be directly facing Earth in about five days.
That storm region will only affect Earth if it shoots off flares and they hit our planet, which doesn’t always happen with stormy areas, said prediction center space scientist Joe Kunches.
The region will be facing Earth for about two weeks as it rotates, he said.
Solar flares send out bursts of electromagnetic energy that can occasionally disrupt communications and electrical systems.
Sourced Via The Intel Hub
We’ll be facing the monster starting sometime this evening into tomorrow. Considering that it has just recently ejected an X-class flare towards Earth and another towards Venus, we should consider the region to be active and fully capable of affecting our planet.
While NOAA’s warnings fall short of any imminent ‘end of the world as we know it’ event, the risk over the next two weeks of a Carrington-like event are higher now than at anytime in the last decade. The 1859 Carrington Event, caused by a solar flare, reportedly knocked out telegraph operations around the world. It is believed that such an event, were it to occur today, could potentially take down the U.S. power grid for months or years and paralyze the entire globe:
Physicist Michio Kaku:
It could paralyze the economy of the planet earth. In 1859 we had a gigantic solar storm which knocked out telegraph wires back then, 150 years ago. If that had happened today it would knock out almost all our satellites, knock out power stations, there would be food riots around the country because refrigeration would stop, airplanes would probably crash without radar.
…
And again, this is a once in a century, once in two centuries storm…
We do have them and we have to worry about them.
…
We’d be thrown back 100 years.
Source: Top Physicist Says Solar Flare Would Set Us Back 100 Years
Patrick Geryl of How to Survive 2012 contacted us recently and contributed a short video describing the potential fall out of such an event. The consequences would be devastating and would include everything from power grid failure and food shortages, to savage riots and, eventually, a meltdown of nuclear reactors across the globe.
(Go to the site to view the video
There would be very little warning, if any, with estimates suggesting that once a solar event is detected it could take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days to impact earth.
Preppers PING!
And we’re supposed to have the big emergency test tomorrow...interesting.
Is an X class flare what they used to call a CME or Coronal Mass Ejection?
Musta been a hard night out for the sun, its blowing chunks...
Solar warming?
Sounds ominous..but I’m as ready as I ever will be. Thanks to a lot of ‘prepper’ advice here. There will always be something that wasnt thought of or done.. plan for the worst, hope for the best.
Does this mean Free Republic might be down for a while?
11-11-11
Wait a minute. I didn’t think the earth was suppose to end again until 2012?
Where’s my Myan Calendar?
IB. Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be moderate during the period (08 - 10 November) with a slight chance for high activity (M5 or higher) from Region 1339. There is also a slight chance for a proton flare from this region during the period.IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 06/2100Z to 07/2100Z: The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels. Solar wind speeds ranged between 300 to 375 km/s while the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field did not vary much beyond +/- 5 nT.
IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be at quiet levels during the period (08 - 10 November).
One place to follow this sort of thing — including auroras — is spaceweather.com
At last, X-Class flares should be able to give me the radiation necessary to acquire superpowers.
X class eh?
Oh Noes!
Well, at least they aren’t Y class - those are killers.
You need to go plant that nugget on DU. What a show.
(if you do, ping me and I'll bring popcorn)
I can’t bother with all this right now.
I’m too busy keeping an eye on the asteroid that’s buzzing by us in the next two days.
AURORA TIME!!!!!
Bush’s fault.
LOL - yeh, I’d need popcorn AND beer for that show.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.