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Nasa scientists braced for 'solar tsunami' to hit earth

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L

Lkr

Member
The earth could be hit by a wave of violent space weather as early as Tuesday after a massive explosion of the sun, scientists have warned.

The solar fireworks at the weekend were recorded by several satellites, including Nasa’s new Solar Dynamics Observatory which watched its shock wave rippling outwards.

Astronomers from all over the world witnessed the huge flare above a giant sunspot the size of the Earth, which they linked to an even larger eruption across the surface of Sun.
The explosion was aimed directly towards Earth, which then sent a “solar tsunami” racing 93 million miles across space.

Images from the SDO hint at a shock wave travelling from the flare into space, the New Scientist reported.

Experts said the wave of supercharged gas will likely reach the Earth on Tuesday, when it will buffet the natural magnetic shield protecting Earth.

It is likely to spark spectacular displays of the aurora or northern and southern lights.

Scientists have warned that a really big solar eruption could destroy satellites and wreck power and communications grids around the globe if it happened today.

Nasa recently warned that Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth is hit by a once-in-a-generation “space storm”.

The Daily Telegraph disclosed in June that senior space agency scientists believed the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013.

It remains unclear, however, how much damage this latest eruption will cause the world’s communication tools.

Dr Lucie Green, of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Surrey, followed the flare-ups using Japan's orbiting Hinode telescope.

"What wonderful fireworks the Sun has been producing,” the UK solar expert said.

“This was a very rare event – not one, but two almost simultaneous eruptions from different locations on the sun were launched toward the Earth.

"These eruptions occur when immense magnetic structures in the solar atmosphere lose their stability and can no longer be held down by the Sun's huge gravitational pull. Just like a coiled spring suddenly being released, they erupt into space.”

She added: "It looks like the first eruption was so large that it changed the magnetic fields throughout half the Sun's visible atmosphere and provided the right conditions for the second eruption.

"Both eruptions could be Earth-directed but may be travelling at different speeds.

“This means we have a very good chance of seeing major and prolonged effects, such as the northern lights at low latitudes."

A Nasa spokesman was unavailable for comment.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...ts-braced-for-solar-tsunami-to-hit-earth.html

It was nice knowing you all
 
B

Blablurn

Member
Count Dookkake said:
Shouldn't that just be sunami?
Click to expand...

24fz96b.gif
 
W

wenis

Registered for GAF on September 11, 2001.
So the site is this like the earth getting a 500 server error?

What will happen to my internet?

I demand answers!
 
G

goomba

Banned
220610SPLlights_220x147.jpg


The New Zealand sky could be lit up by the Aurora Australis, or Southern Lights, tonight after American space agency Nasa detected a solar blast heading towards earth.

The flare, consisting of large clouds of charged particles, will probably have no noticeable consequences apart from possibly causing aurora which Nasa described as "rippling dancing curtains of green and red light".
Click to expand...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10663330
 
E

East Lake

Member
wenis said:
What will happen to my internet?
Click to expand...
Nothin.

The article is like "HEY THERE'S A GIANT SOLAR FLARE AND THE SUN IS GETTING MORE ACTIVE, SPACE-LIKE TSUNAMI!!!!!"




....











May disrupt a few satellites.
 
M

Majine

Banned
If I'm going to die, It might aswell be because of something in space. I feel better knowing that no one else will survive.
 
B

Bentendo

Member
When I imagined a sun tsunami hitting Earth, the only thing that was going through my head was a massive wall of fire crashing into our planet, killing all life as we know it. Now I see that the only effect we'll probably get is... a blackout half way across the world... : /

Oh, an TWENTY TWELVE OH MAH GAWD.
 
S

speculawyer

Member
Nasa recently warned that Britain could face widespread power blackouts and be left without critical communication signals for long periods of time, after the earth is hit by a once-in-a-generation “space storm”.

The Daily Telegraph disclosed in June that senior space agency scientists believed the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013.

It remains unclear, however, how much damage this latest eruption will cause the world’s communication tools.
Click to expand...

This is just the cover story.

We know the real culprit.

3962-7468.gif
 
G

Gallbaro

Banned
Got my car filled with gas enough to travel to the very racist isolated town where there are more guns and ammunition than in all of china. I figure all I would have to do is pretend to be religious and go to church.
 
S

SpacLock

Member
terrdactycalsrock said:
so what does this? will this explosion travel to earth and blow us all up? or just cut out satellites and everything?
Click to expand...

It's pretty much going to destroy Earth. NASA is sending a BP drilling team to the Sun in hopes that they can figure something out.
 
M

Majine

Banned
Jokes aside, this reminded me that the Sun is our one true god. It actively decides our fate and if it wants to, it can wipe us out anytime (and will far into the future), and no other lifeform in the universe will ever know we existed.
 
T

teruterubozu

Member
:lol Scientists couldn't even get the recent Chile tsunami predictions correct here on earth. I'll take this w/a grain of salt.
 
E

Elfforkusu

Member
terrdactycalsrock said:
so what does this? will this explosion travel to earth and blow us all up? or just cut out satellites and everything?
Click to expand...
Solar flare worst case.

Doubt this one is much to get riled up about, even if you're a satellite in orbit. Given that we're coming off a period of super low activity, all it probably means is some pretty auroras for the high latittudes.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
Maybe this explains my major headache I've had starting today?
 
B

big_z

Member
terrdactycalsrock said:
so what does this? will this explosion travel to earth and blow us all up? or just cut out satellites and everything?
Click to expand...


smaller ones just mess up satellites. larger ones have knocked out city power grids. hard to say how big these ones are... guess well find out in a bit. im hoping for clear skys tonight.

nasa believes we will get some of the biggest ones ever recorded around 2013(2012 OMG!)


nicolas-cage-in-knowing-film-poster_size_600x450.jpg
 
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