solar flares will they affect us?

Question

Due to the increased activity due in 2012 ,the solar flare/ejection could be quite disastrous. However would the government really tell everyone if it was an earth ending disaster, as predicted by the mayans.
I don't think so, however if we lived our life worrying at all the major media scaremongering we wouldn't have much of a life. I think that it may be big enough to fry digital tv signals and possibly affect transport as most cars would be suceptable to EM pulses as would all radio and other electrical items however I think we need to wait for more information -- as it could be anything from a lovely light show to total shutdown of all power items. SO GET THE CANDLES AND BOOKS READY -- NO MORE MOBILE PHONES -- BLISS. However time will tell - Just be aware and listen to what the scientists and government tell you

Answer 1

Don't be a tool. We have a 24/7, 360-degree view of the Sun and more forewarning than ever before. Such as right now, we recently witnessed the first X-class flare in years and have a forecast for the CME to spark geomagnetic storms in a couple of days. Nearly all modern satellites are hardened against solar radiation. Power providers are able to protect vital components. In the event of serious problems, it's simply a matter of replacing those components.



This happens roughly every 11 years. It's perfectly normal, and the solar maximum projected for 2013 is actually expected to be weaker than average. So try to keep the hysteria in check, because it's completely unwarranted.

Answer 2

> solar flares will they affect us?



Probably not.



> the increased activity due in 2012



The next solar maximum is predicted for May 2013, and is expected to be less than average. Read the link below for FACTUAL information about upcoming solar activity.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/29may_noaaprediction/



> the solar flare/ejection



Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are totally different things.



> would the government really tell everyone if it was an earth ending disaster



Which government? There are hundreds of governments on Earth, with different agendas. And none of them control scientific discovery and channels of scientific announcements.



> as predicted by the mayans.



The Mayans never predicted ANY disaster.



> major media scaremongering



The major media have not engaged in scaremongering, or at least not much. It's MINOR mdia like cable TV channels and YouTube that doe most of the scaremongering.



> I think that it may be big enough to fry digital tv signals and possibly affect transport as most cars would be suceptable to EM pulses as would all radio and other electrical items



You may think so, but I don't know of any scientist predicting anything like this.



> I think we need to wait for more information



Absolutely. So why are you posting this?



> NO MORE MOBILE PHONES -- BLISS



I'm with you there!



> listen to what the scientists and government tell you



But didn't you just tell us they're lying to us and hiding things?



"2012" is a hoax designed to scare children and adults who know nothing about science. There is no science behind it, and no scientists believe in it.



The world has existed for over four billion years. Is it reasonable to expect that it will come to an end in two years? And all because of a Mayan calendar? Use some common sense.



The most interesting astronomical events in 2012 will be an annular eclipse of the Sun on 2012 May 20, a total eclipse of the Sun on 2012 Nov 13, and a transit of the planet Venus across the face of the Sun on 2012 Jun 06.



Scientists don't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen in the year 2012, or specifically on the date December 21, except for the solstice, which happens every year.



None of the "predicted" happenings for 2012 hold up under close scrutiny. "Planet X" and "Nibiru" simply don't exist. The Mayan calendar ends a cycle, but there were no predictions of the end of the world. The Sun doesn't line up with the galactic centre; it's 5 degrees off, and happens on December 18 EVERY year. No asteroids or comets are actually predicted to hit Earth.



All of this stuff was put together by crackpots in order to promote their books and TV shows, and shamelessly promoted by the History Channel. Don't take any of it seriously!



The best way is to _inform yourself_ about 2012 by reading factual sites about it, rather than sites that are trying to sell you something. Here are a few:

http://www.2012hoax.org/

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/69774827.html

http://blogs.jpl.nasa.gov/?p=59

http://astrobiology.nasa.gov/ask-an-astrobiologist/intro/nibiru-and-doomsday-2012-questions-and-answers

Answer 3

A strong enough ejection could well disrupt our communications and electricity. However, with the protection of our atmosphere and magnetic poles, it is doubtful that it will bring about the death of mankind. As for government warning, it will be the scientific community that detects any "disastrous" solar event and it isn't likely the government will be able to silence the scientific community about it. Of course, on the flip side...if we are able to put our satellites to sleep and shut down the power grid before such an event hits earth, then it won't be the disaster you think. It might be inconvenient for a few days, though.

Answer 4

We use to watch the Aurora as kids in the United States in the 50s and 60s for Christ sakes. These flairs are NOT uncommon and were happening long before man walked the face of the Earth! The odds are far more likely that a good thunderstorm will knock out your electricity. As far as phone interruption, not having phones back in the early days of man didn't seem to impede his progress. Quit crying over something that you have been through hundreds of times already and didn't even know it. The only thing new about them are the numbers of people who are finally aware they are a naturally occurring event!

Answer 5

There's one coming today, you know? It should make a good, fun trial run for your disaster scenario -- see if you notice any hairs getting up or squirrels talking to elks!!



Here's some reading material, OK?

- http://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=15&month=02&year=2011

- http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html#xray

- http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/data_service/space_weather/alert_2011-02-15.html



As far as solar flares go -- they can't be predicted. You CAN predict TENDENCIES in the number of SUN SPOTS (not the same as solar flares). If you want to compare it to the weather on Earth, you might say that sun spots is like the weather (you know it's hot in the Summer and cold in the Winter) whereas sun spots are like thunderstorms -- they can happen in the summer or in the winter, but you can't predict whether you'll have a lightning hit your house, or whether you'll just have two lightning flashes or two hundred in 30 minutes.





What do you say know ?



NONE of those events caused by solar flares were PREDICTED. And there is STILL no prediction for solar flares.



Will solar flares happen? Yes they will; a big one happened JUST YESTERDAY.



Will there be solar flares strong enough to take out LONG DISTANCE telephone and power grids? Yes there will. This one isn't it, but it's serious enough. It'll likely disrupt long-range satellite communications and operations, and it might disrupt GPS operations, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station might get a radiation dose higher than usual.



Will it be in 2012 as you'd like to be to confirm your supersticion? WE DON'T KNOW AND WE CAN'T KNOW IN ADVANCE. That's the simple, honest truth as far as I know and as far as I've learnt in school (actual books about Astronomy).



You can have a terrifying solar flare NEXT WEEK for all we know. If the authorities are not prepared to deal with these events this month, or the next, it doesn't make any difference whether it'll happen in February 2011 or in March 2011 or BY SHEER COINCIDENCE in December 2012 or in 2013 or in 2015 or in 2025. This is like preparing for an earthquake. It can happen at any time, you don't have to wait for 2012 or 2112 or whatever is the disaster year of your preference.



Let me stress this strongly to make it clear:



IT CAN HAPPEN, IT WILL HAPPEN, AT ANY TIME; AND YOU GET A WARNING WITH ONE DAY IN ADVANCE IF YOU'RE LUCKY. It makes NO difference to get in a huffy about 2012, after all people only paid attention to it because of others' rumors. Once 2012 and 2013 have come and gone, people will forget all about it and then pick a new disaster date. Just like in all other occasions.



Compare those dates with the supposed predictions of "end of the world" and see if there is any correlation. If you have someone "predicting" the end of the world for each and every day -- then it's bound to happen that someone may get it right, if you're willing to include dates that span billions of years into the future.



If you're "preparing" just because of 2012 or 2013, then you might as well prepare for next week or the next decade. You prepare because it will happen, not because there's a set date.

Answer 6

Make yourself a home made sun dial, mark the noon position on the sundial and check it daily as long as the shadow is were you marked, then; nothing. If you see the shadow arriving late and not at the noon position were you marked it, then your brain will kick start and you will be on a path to finding the answers you are looking for. If you keep your eyes on the birdy, you will find in a short while it does not land in the place expected. Don't trust your clocks because you set them according to the Navy, have one clock in your home that you set only once by your T.V. or Computer and don't touch it again. Use that clock to match up with your sun dial, depending on were you live, you will see the clock running fast or slow and out of step with the sun dial. This is a general way to tell if the earth is slowing in its rotation and if you find it is slowing, then you will have the answer to your question. Because whatever you find out, the establishment already knows. And you will learn one thing, you found the truth all by your self.

Answer 7

If the world was going to end no government would be able to cover it up. solar flares release a lot of radiation but our planets atmosphere prevents us from frying like ants. short story we will not all die in 2012.



so don't expect any Apocalypse, and remember the mayans were a bunch of savages who knew nothing about science and worshiped the sun so they are officially not a reliable source of knowledge.

Answer 8

The Sun goes through an active period every 11 years, and has for the last 4.5 billion years. No real damage has been done yet besides a few power losses (no more damage than you'd get from an ice storm, without the ice), or will be done. Your wild speculations are based on nothing at all.

Answer 9

Earths magnetic field will divert most of the radiation down into the poles of the planet.



A small portion of the radiation will make it through and cause disaster in worst case scenario.

Answer 10

What you have said really echos what im about to put...

The solar flares will destroy are electricity supplies, cut alot of communication off and put us into a meltdown stage. Of course this will only last a couple of months, but up until 2012 I believe we will see an increase in these 'solar storms' as it increases.

It won't be like 2012 the movie though, LOL.

But we should all have a safety, emergency pack of candles, lighters, blankets, radios etc in case

Answer 11

Not sure, they could but if they do good, its about time this world ended, I hate it. Gods time is coming and i'm ready. :)