You are here: Home / Archives for solar storms

The Sun’s Sweet Spot

August 1, 2013 by
A picture of the Sun's coronal hole.

A coronal hole on the sun moving toward the Sun’s North Pole about 400,000 miles across. NASA July 18, 2013.

The Earth is 93 million miles away from the Sun, and this places our planet in the sweet spot. We are not too close to the Sun, and we’re not too far away – we are positioned PERFECTLY to the Sun. Because of our position, we have a plethora of life on Earth unlike any other planet in our solar system. We are lucky ducks.

Solar Changes

When the Sun changes, though, it changes all life on Earth, and whether the changes are good or bad, humans have gotten so used to the ways things are now, change doesn’t come easy.

Affects On Earth

Every 11 years, the Sun’s surface becomes more active with violent eruptions and increased heat. This current solar cycle is reaching its maximum activity in late 2013 and early 2014. This doesn’t mean that the solar cycle is over; this means that over the next few years, the Sun will begin cooling down, and its effects on the Earth will be less threatening as today.

The presence of a huge coronal hole is our signal that the surface of the Sun is turning the corner and  beginning to calm down.

From Flares To Holes

Holes in the Sun, known as coronal holes, are currently ramping up toward what is known as solar maximum, currently predicted for late 2013. During this portion of the cycle, the number of coronal holes decreases. During solar max, the magnetic fields on the Sun reverse, and new coronal holes appear near the poles with the opposite magnetic alignment. The coronal holes then increase in size and number, extending farther from the poles as the Sun moves toward solar minimum again. At such times, coronal holes have appeared that are even larger than this one.

The holes are important to our understanding of space weather, as they are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the Sun some three times faster than the slower wind elsewhere. While it’s unclear what causes coronal holes, they correlate to areas on the Sun where magnetic fields soar up and away, failing to loop back down to the surface as they do elsewhere.

EMPs, or electromagnetic pulses, are high energy explosions of electromagnetic radiation on the Sun, much like nuclear explosions, and these explosions can send out huge solar flares wiping out communication systems and modern electronics on the Earth.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs), commonly known as solar flares, are massive bursts of solar wind and magnetic fields rising above the Sun’s surface and being released into space. Most CMEs originate from very active regions on the Sun’s surface.

A picture of a solar flare, or CME, exploding off the surface of the Sun.

A solar flare, or CME, exploding off the surface of the Sun.

Not Out Of The Woods Yet

Before the Sun cools down, it will reach its peak of increasing heat and surface eruptions. This impacts the Earth in many ways.

As 2013 closes and we begin 2014, we will continue to experience strange weather patterns, violent storms, and increases in volcanoes and earthquakes. 

Remember that the Earth is responding to the dominant influences of the Sun, and as long as the Sun is fired up – we’ll stay fired up.

 

Filed Under: Climate, Earth Changes, Space Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Strongest Solar Flare in 2013 Heading Toward Earth This Weekend

April 13, 2013 by

The strongest solar flare in 2013 should impact the Earth’s upper atmosphere this weekend on April 13-14, 2013.

A picture of the sun from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory capturing the image of an M6.5 class flare at 3:16 EDT on April 11, 2013 heading toward Earth. (Photo: NASA/SDO)

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an M6.5 class solar flare at 3:16 EDT on April 11, 2013. It will impact the Earth this weekend. (Photo: NASA/SDO)

 

Solar flares are strong bursts of radiation that sling powerful material through space toward Earth (known as a CME or coronal mass ejection), and some can be quite harmful. Most CMEs reach the Earth in one to three days after they have ejected from the Sun’s surface. A powerful CME pointed toward Earth moving over 600 miles per second can disturb the upper atmosphere enough to disrupt radio signals and affect electronic systems in satellites both in space and on the ground.

Although this particular mid-level flare is actually about ten times less powerful than some of the strongest flares that we’ve seen, the solar flare that occurred on April 11, 2013 produced a CME that could potentially create a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when the CME connects with the Earth’s magnetic shield for an extended period of time.

This is not the last solar flare or CME that will impact the Earth this year. Solar activity is likely to increase because the Sun’s normal 11-year cycle is just reaching its peak in late 2013.

This will be a great weekend to watch the auroras in the Northern latitudes, but head’s up – GPS and cell phone signals might undergo some disruption.

A picture of the aurora borealis.

The Northern Lights – aurora borealis.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Climate Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Protecting Our Power Grids

April 10, 2013 by

Solar StormsSun

On March 8, 2013, the biggest solar storm in five years hit the Earth. Two days earlier on March 6, two solar flares erupted from the surface of the sun, sending a wave of plasma and charged particles traveling at speeds of 4 million mph toward Earth. Humans cannot stop the effects of intense solar radiation and geomagnetic storms affecting the Earth, but we can do something about our power grids and satellites floating in its path.

Grid The Future

The right choice for our future is to change how we “grid our future.”  In order to preserve our modern lifestyle, countries worldwide are hanging on to the old ways of powering our technological dependancies, but with Earth changes increasing,  this will never work.  It’s time to tap into the many forms of free energy, and just think of all the jobs that will be generated when we change the present grid. It’s a win-win situation.

Humans put price tags on the Earth for personal gain profit.

Our Antiquated Energy Monopolies

Going Underground

Electric power and power lines fueled by petroleum are antiquated, but at the very least, “this grid” needs to go underground instead of remaining overhead. Underground cables take up less space than overhead lines, and they are less affected by bad weather and solar storms. Underground lines do not provide the immense pull on power loads, but these forms of electricity should NEVER be our only source of power. With the amount of free energy on this planet, humans worldwide should be using several different forms of energy – all at the same time. If one goes down, then another is still on-line. And, this prevents energy monopolies.

By adopting a new view of the Earth, humanity can move into the future in the right direction.

Moving Into A Better Future

Plugging Into Nature’s Grid

As we experience more natural disasters and solar storms, tapping into different, and safer, forms of energy is the way into the future. The Earth has provided unlimited free energy for all life on this planet – geothermal, wind, solar, water, and magnetic energy. There are enough alternative resources to support everyone and everything when we take the price tags off our antiquated system.

It’s time to plug into Nature’s grid.

Filed Under: Energy Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page