Posted on 09/30/2009 8:32:03 PM PDT by neverdem
Increase means NASA may need to rethink astronauts’ radiation shielding
Galactic cosmic rays have just hit a Space Age high, new data from a NASA spacecraft indicates.
"In 2009, cosmic ray intensities have increased 19 percent beyond anything we've seen in the past 50 years," said Richard Mewaldt of Caltech. "The increase is significant, and it could mean we need to re-think how much radiation shielding astronauts take with them on deep-space missions."
The surge, which poses no threat to Earth, was detected by NASA's ACE (Advanced Composition Explorer) spacecraft.
The cause of the surge is solar minimum, a deep lull in the sun's activity that began around 2007 and continues today. Researchers have long known that cosmic rays go up when solar activity goes down, because strong solar activity inflates and bolsters a protective bubble around our entire solar system.
Right now solar activity — marked by sunspots, solar flares and space storms — is as weak as it has been in modern times, setting the stage for what Mewaldt calls "a perfect storm of cosmic rays."
A shower of rays Galactic cosmic rays come from outside the solar system. They are subatomic particles — mainly protons but also some heavy nuclei — accelerated to almost light speed by distant supernova explosions.
Cosmic rays cause "air showers" of secondary particles when they hit Earth's atmosphere, where they can pose a threat to orbiting satellites — a single cosmic ray can disable a satellite if it hits an unlucky integrated circuit.
Though some have suggested that cosmic rays might be behind the Earth's current warming climate, research has shown no firm link between these invading rays and global warming...
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Only a rat could be this ignorant or evil, maybe both.
Enter "cosmic rays" "cloud formation" "global cooling" and albedo in your favorite search engine. There's a much better correlation between solar sunspot minima and maxima and climate change, than the predictions of climate models and a minor increase of the trace gas CO2.
And which "deep space missions" might those be?
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There will be no deep space missions for a generation. Obama has drained the coffers.The money is going to ACORN, not NASA.
No deep space missions,unless they start shipping the national socialists to a new planet to establish their Utopia there, once they discover we will not allow it here.
This may have other effects, such as an increased cancer/mutation rate, and cosmic rays are known to cause random computer upsets.
There is a theory, which has never been discounted, that persons who suddenly drop dead for no known reason have been hit by a large cosmic ray in the head, causing the biological equivalent of a “computer upset” and autonomous system failure (breathing, heart, etc). The odds are low but nonzero.
God’s p1ssed off. No surprise.
Sheesh, with my luck,I am ordering a Sheild helmet today!
The earth's magnetic field also operates in cycles. When it drops to zero, the surface is left unprotected from high levels of incoming radiation. Mutation rates soar.
Click the book cover picture for more info.
LOL!
A reversal of our magnetic poles sounds like even more of a driving force for our ice ages. Thanks for the link & comment.
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The reversal of magnetic poles does not occur on the same time cycle as the iceages. However, a reversal can occur WITHOUT a cessation of magnetic field strength. What happens is the “new field” is growing while the “old field” is waning.
Thanks for the ping!
About 10,000 muons pass through our bodies every minute. Some of these muons will ionize molecules as they go through our flesh, occasionally leading to genetic mutations that may be harmful. ... At present, the average human receives the equivalent of about 10 chest X-rays per year from cosmic rays.They'll be crying like babies and screaming We're DOOMED!
'Cosmic Ray Muon Insurance'.They'll also want an investigation why Bush didn't do anything about this 'attack of cosmic rays'!
..................
It'll be Katrina all over again - "Bush Hates Humans!!" 
Thanks for the info.
"In 2009, cosmic ray intensities have increased 19 percent beyond anything we've seen in the past 50 years," said Richard Mewaldt of Caltech.Thanks neverdem.
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