I've heard lately (largely from Art Bell's and George Norry's "Coast to Coast AM",-which is considerably Good, -but which I often take with some Grains of Salt), -that the Sun is Acting Up with some pretty exceptional Flare Outbursts, -right in the midst of whats suspossed to be the Solar Mininum!
If it keeps up like this, -I'd hate to see what it looks like in 5 or 6 years, -when it reaches Solar Maximum!
Its a mere matter of Chance and Time, -before the Sun just happens to shoot one or more of these Earthward!
Our Satellites and Ground Electronics, -can be Toast!
Even Flares not exactly aimed at Earth, can play a lot of Havoc!
And 5 or 6 years from now, -just happens to neatly coincide with 2012, -you know, -end of Mayan Calender, etc. This hereby may be a coincidence, -or not so much.
Any way you look at it, -its mighty strange to see the Sun acting up so much!, -right in the midst of what should be its Solar *Mininum*!
As an additional matter of Hit or Miss Chance, -one Half of the Earth will be facing Sunward when such Flare hits, -while the other will be at least somewhat shielded by Earth's nighttime shadow. This might also be "not so much", -as concerns the duration of the Flare's impact. (Earth's Night and Morning Side, will be rotating into such).
In a worse case scenario, -will we here in the Americas be on the Sun Side, -while say Asia and the Mideast "luck out" on the night side? With a Global Balance of Power etc, greatly shifting almost overnight due to an entirely Natural, Astronomical, cause?
(I'm referring to when such a Flare initially hits Earth, -not to when it erupts from the Sun, -I know there can be one to several day's transit time).
I'd like to hold some further "judgement", -until I further consult some well Reputed, Professional Astronomical source, such as Sky and Telescope magazine. For their such take on it.
But whatever, -Its Undeniable and Odd!, -for our Sun to now be Acting Up!, so Out of Turn and Character!
Whether or not this may end up tying in with 2012 / Teotwawki type stuff, -its a Real Danger to Earth, along with its Electronics and Technology, all the same! These are rather Exceptional, *Non* Garden Variety, sorts of Solar Flares!
What can we do about it? I'm afraid that this is only "the Limited Best we Can"!
(An Emergency Alarm had gone off in the Library from which I post, in mid-posting. Had to vacate awhile, -so I quickly submitted this post, -while it was still yet incopmplete. Thus the "Sudden Hang", -before finishing the rest of it in an Edit, upon my return. And so, that explains that. For anyone who might have noticed). [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]
Edited by ScottRezaLogan (01/23/07 12:18 AM)
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"No Substitute for Victory!"and"You Can't be a Beacon if your Light Don't Shine!"-Gen. Douglass MacArthur and Donna Fargo.