Massive hole discovered on the Sun

The end of days is near!  The Sun is going to spew mass particles of at our ball of rock and water ...  Nah, just kidding.  NASA's SOHO captured a hole on the Sun that was very large - yes, large even in Sun standards.  This enormous mass is cooler, less dense, and dark in comparison to the rest of the Suns' surface.  So what does this mean for us on Earth?  Nothing really, except maybe a few beautiful auroras.  

4% of power disruptions related to CME activity

 Lockheed Martin has released new research which revealed about 4% of power disruptions from 1992 to 2010 were correlated with the heightened solar activity (CME activity).  This information is in contrast with government reports that reported zero disruptions were related to the solar activity during the same time frame.  

With the upcoming predictions of solar extremes later this year, I wonder what (if any) impact these disruptions may have on our power and electronic systems.

Massive Solar Flare Expectations

How can we prepare for solar flares?  How do we know what to expect if a massive flare is headed for our beautiful blue planet?  We can learn from the history of the Carrington Event.  A normal solar flare takes a few days to reach the earth, however, during the 1859 event it reached our planet in a mere 18 hours.  If a similar event were to occur today, the earths magnetic field would be unable to catch all the particles.  This would result in an aurora that would no longer just be isolated to the poles and there may be auroras over the United States and the Caribbean.  Most of us would probably just see this as a fascinating display of color and beauty, however, we would be directly impacted if our electronics were stopped by this event.  What do you think would happen if such a huge event would cause power grid outages that would last years?  Would we be able to survive or do you think that mass chaos would break out?  

Can a solar flare kill us?

Everyone likes a litte trivia, right?  I thought I'd share some trivia about solar flares with those of you in blogger land today.

 

 

Can a solar flare kill us?

 

 

In reality, only a small amount of the energy released from solar flares will actually reach the earth because we are protected by our planet's atmosphere. 

Large asteroid headed our way? Pray says NASA

That's about all the United States - or anyone for that matter - could do at this point about unknown asteroids and meteors that may be on a collision course with Earth, Bolden told lawmakers at a U.S. House of Representatives Science Committee hearing on Tuesday. 

An asteroid estimated to be have been about 55 feet (17 meters) in diameter exploded on Feb. 15 over Chelyabinsk, Russia, generating shock waves that shattered windows and damaged buildings. More than 1,500 people were injured.

Later that day, a larger, unrelated asteroid discovered last year passed about 17,200 miles (27,681 km) from Earth, closer than the network of television and weather satellites that ring the planet. 

The events "serve as evidence that we live in an active solar system with potentially hazardous objects passing through our neighborhood with surprising frequency," said Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Texas Democrat. 

"We were fortunate that the events of last month were simply an interesting coincidence rather than a catastrophe," said Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, who called the hearing to learn what is being done and how much money is needed to better protect the planet. 

Nasa has found and is tracking about 95 percent of the largest objects flying near Earth, those that are .62 miles (1 km) or larger in diameter. 

"An asteroid of that size, a kilometer or bigger, could plausibly end civilization," White House science advisor John Holdren told legislators at the same hearing. 

But only about 10 percent of an estimated 10,000 potential "city-killer" asteroids, those with a diameter of about 165 feet (50 meters) have been found, Holdren added. 

On average, objects of that size are estimated to hit Earth about once every 1,000 years. 

"From the information we have, we don't know of an asteroid that will threaten the population of the United States," Bolden said. "But if it's coming in three weeks, pray." 

In addition to stepping up its monitoring efforts and building international partnerships, Nasa is looking at developing technologies to divert an object that may be on a collision course with Earth. 

"The odds of a near-Earth object strike causing massive casualties and destruction of infrastructure are very small, but the potential consequences of such an event are so large it makes sense to takes the risk seriously," Holdren said. 

About 66 million years ago, an object 6 miles (10 km) in diameter is believed to have smashed into what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, leading to the demise of the dinosaurs, as well as most plant and animal life on Earth. 

The asteroid that exploded over Russia last month was the largest object to hit Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 Tunguska event when an asteroid or comet exploded over Siberia, leveling 80 million trees over more than 830 square miles (2,150 sq km).

Reuters

Dystopian Trailer

Sharing a video to the trailer of Pyrolysis.  Enjoy!

New Gamma Burst that Impacted Earth Discovered



A new discovery of an enormous explosion in space, sending out high levels of radiation is believed to have impacted earth during the rule of Emperor Charlemagne, between 774 and 775 AD.  Scientists have discovered this impact by studying the rings in cedar trees, which point that this phenomena occurred during medieval times.  This explosion is not believed to have been caused by our own sun, but more likely a collision between two stars or two black holes that were inside our own Milky Way galaxy.  These newly discovered tree rings have given scientists their best ‘guess’ at what might have occurred during that era. 

 

The Sky is Falling!

I am sure most of you have already seen or heard of the meteor that exploded over Russia yesterday, causing several injuries and a scare that won't soon be forgotten.  There are reports of another possible meteor (fireball) that blazed through the sky over California.  I hate to sound like Chicken Little, but the sky is falling!