Massive solar storm to hit Earth in 2012 with 'force of 100m bombs'

[Spikey00]

OP:  http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100826/981/tsc-massive-solar-storm-to-hit-earth-in_1.html
Melbourne, Aug 26 (ANI): Astronomers are predicting that a massive solar storm, much bigger in potential than the one that caused spectacular light shows on Earth earlier this month, is to strike our planet in 2012 with a force of 100 million hydrogen bombs.

Several US media outlets have reported that NASA was warning the massive flare this month was just a precursor to a massive solar storm building that had the potential to wipe out the entire planet's power grid.

Despite its rebuttal, NASA's been watching out for this storm since 2006 and reports from the US this week claim the storms could hit on that most Hollywood of disaster dates - 2012.

Similar storms back in 1859 and 1921 caused worldwide chaos, wiping out telegraph wires on a massive scale. The 2012 storm has the potential to be even more disruptive.

"The general consensus among general astronomers (and certainly solar astronomers) is that this coming Solar maximum (2012 but possibly later into 2013) will be the most violent in 100 years," News.com.au quoted astronomy lecturer and columnist Dave Reneke as saying.

"A bold statement and one taken seriously by those it will affect most, namely airline companies, communications companies and anyone working with modern GPS systems.

"They can even trip circuit breakers and knock out orbiting satellites, as has already been done this year," added Reneke.

No one really knows what effect the 2012-2013 Solar Max will have on today's digital-reliant society.

Dr Richard Fisher, director of NASA's Heliophysics division, told Reneke the super storm would hit like "a bolt of lightning", causing catastrophic consequences for the world's health, emergency services and national security unless precautions are taken.

NASA said that a recent report by the National Academy of Sciences found that if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause "1 to 2 trillion dollars in damages to society's high-tech infrastructure and require four to 10 years for complete recovery".

The reason for the concern comes as the sun enters a phase known as Solar Cycle 24.

Most experts agree, although those who put the date of Solar Max in 2012 are getting the most press.

They claim satellites will be aged by 50 years, rendering GPS even more useless than ever, and the blast will have the equivalent energy of 100 million hydrogen bombs.

"We know it is coming but we don't know how bad it is going to be," Fisher told Reneke.

"Systems will just not work. The flares change the magnetic field on the Earth and it's rapid, just like a lightning bolt. That's the solar effect," he added.

The findings are published in the most recent issue of Australasian Science. (ANI)

[Mánagarmr]

Oh yay! Look it's that old, tired conspiracy theory again <.<

[Spikey00]

Well, now that they've mixed it up with this whole "2012" thing and science, I don't know what to believe.  I'm not into the whole conspiracy of 2012, but this one sounds more legitimately sound.  Anyone here have any more information regarding this?

[Diazo]

Well, the sun has killed satellites before so the concept has been proven.

I don't have any additional information on this 'giant' eruption that is heading our way though.

D.

[rubikscube]

If you ask me, we need more experience for embracing a solar storm now we have 3 g , wifi that will be wiped out

[Spikey00]

Yeah, who needs GPS!?

Bah!  Pitiful human GPS systems.

[Ozymandiaz]

Oh yay! Look it's that old, tired conspiracy theory again <.<

The sun actually exists, and we have actually observed solar flares before

This is by no means the end of any world, but it can affect satellites.

[Mánagarmr]

What Ozy said. It's just yet again a case of someone blowing a naturally occuring thing to epic proportions. Swine flu anyone?

[RCIX]

What Ozy said. It's just yet again a case of someone blowing a naturally occuring thing to epic proportions. Swine flu anyone?

Did you actually have that? it was horrible. I was out for a week+ and feeling like i was dead walking.

[Mánagarmr]

As does any normal flu. The only difference between normal flu (which kills thousands of people every year) and the H1N1 was that H1N1 was more infective and could hit a lot of people at once. It's lethality was never higher than normal flu (which is rather low, unless you get complications or are old/very young/weak).

I just thought the whole panic about it all was unjustified. I work in government so I _know_ there was no real danger to people in general. What _was_ the general danger was that the flu could hit important services at once, leaving some things like police, fire and hospitals understaffed due to disease. Other than that, there was no real danger.

[Diazo]

I understood that the concern about H1N1 was not because it was any worse then a normal flu in terms of mortality rates, but that it was killing people outside the normal risk groups.

As in, the normal flu is annoying to a healthy 20 year old in that you feel awful for a while but you are in no danger.

Where-as H1N1, that healthy 20 year old who caught it had a chance to die, the same as the old/very young/weak do.

It was because of this abnormal mortality pattern that all the alert flags were raised and what started the over-reaction.

Again, this is as I understand it, mostly from a nurse who I'm friends with. I'm not in the medical profession myself.

D.

[RCIX]

As does any normal flu. The only difference between normal flu (which kills thousands of people every year) and the H1N1 was that H1N1 was more infective and could hit a lot of people at once. It's lethality was never higher than normal flu (which is rather low, unless you get complications or are old/very young/weak).

I just thought the whole panic about it all was unjustified. I work in government so I _know_ there was no real danger to people in general. What _was_ the general danger was that the flu could hit important services at once, leaving some things like police, fire and hospitals understaffed due to disease. Other than that, there was no real danger.

The difference is, i've had normal flu as well and it didn't feel this bad

[Ozymandiaz]

As does any normal flu. The only difference between normal flu (which kills thousands of people every year) and the H1N1 was that H1N1 was more infective and could hit a lot of people at once. It's lethality was never higher than normal flu (which is rather low, unless you get complications or are old/very young/weak).

I just thought the whole panic about it all was unjustified. I work in government so I _know_ there was no real danger to people in general. What _was_ the general danger was that the flu could hit important services at once, leaving some things like police, fire and hospitals understaffed due to disease. Other than that, there was no real danger.

The difference is, i've had normal flu as well and it didn't feel this bad

So have I, but we got resistance to the regular flue. This was a new strain.

Regardless, the Svine Flue was blown out of proportion by the media, I do not think anyone can deny that. After all such scary things sell well. I did however take the vaccine since it was offerd to me for free by my employer, but I think I could have managed just fine without, but one never knows. ^^

[Spikey00]

Well it would be interesting to see how this plays out for companies involving said technology, especially on the stock markets, though I don't know how many people would believe another 2012 story even if this one has scientific background.

[Fleet]

People publish this stuff because they know it will get them a lot of attention.

Please, don't grant their wish.