Solar Storms Create Wondrous Auroras—But Dangerous Power Surges - The next potential space voltage could be on the horizon very soon, by Meg St-Esprit May 28, 2024
"...We are far from a time where we can predict solar weather with the accuracy of terrestrial weather, says Mike Bettwy, but it’s improving every day. “That’s why it’s really, really critical to have constant monitoring and imaging,” he says. “Now, if we see in a satellite image of a solar flare, we can actually run a model to try to predict how it is going to interact with the Earth’s atmosphere.” That wasn’t possible in the past, which meant solar storms were potentially much more dangerous before..."
May has been an exciting month for our Sun. A barrage of solar storms and coronal mass ejections created the strongest solar storm to reach Earth in two decades — and possibly one of the strongest displays of auroras in the past 500 years. NASA.gov tells us how the agency tracked it, and the images and videos are astonishing, too. https://flip.it/VBUyCn #Science#Space#SolarStorms#Aurora#NASA
An Alaska meme...with all the folks all around the world getting a chance to view the gorgeous Northern Lights in many colors, Alaskans are feeling a bit jealous. 😜 #SolarStorms#NorthernLights
Solar storms could cause train accidents, scientists warn
Story by Andrew Griffin, December 11, 2023
“#SpaceWeather – changes in the atmosphere that include blasts of energy from the Sun – can disrupt everything from communications to #PowerGrids. Scientists have repeatedly warned that the Earth faces potentially catastrophic danger from #SolarStorms, which could be powerful enough to bring down much of the #infrastructure on which we depend.
“Now researchers warn that danger could be enough to cause malfunctioning #rail signals, which in turn could lead to #TrainAccidents.
“Researchers modelled how geomagnetically induced currents from solar storms could cause danger, by looking at two routes: the Preston to Lancaster section of the #WestCoastMainLine, and the #GlasgowToEdinburghLine. Those are just two lines that rely heavily on that rail signal, and there are more than 50,000 signalling track circuits in the UK, which control the railway signal with an electric circuit.
“In the new study, they found that space weather would be able to change those circuits. Models suggest that could happen every few decades, the researchers found.
“’Crucially, our research suggests that space weather is able to flip a signal in either direction, turning a red signal green or a green signal red. This is obviously very significant from a safety perspective,' said Cameron Patterson from Lancaster University.
“’By building a computer model of the signalling track circuits using realistic specifications for the various components of the system, we found that space weather events capable of triggering faults in these track circuits are expected in the UK every few decades.'
“Patterson had previously worked on research that suggested solar storms could lead to 'right side' failures, where signals turn from green to red. Those are less dangerous, since trains will stay at a stop.
“But the new research suggests that they can also happen for 'wrong side' failures, that change signals to green. What’s more, they actually require less strength to be flipped, suggesting they could happen with less powerful solar storms.
“‘Our research shows that space weather poses a serious, if relatively rare, risk to the rail signalling system, which could cause delays or even have more critical, safety implications,' said Cameron. 'This natural hazard needs to be taken seriously. By their nature, high-impact, low-frequency events are hard to plan for, but ignoring them is rarely the best way forward.'
“In 1859, the world was hit by what is known as the ‘#CarringtonEvent’, which was powerful enough to knock telegraph signals offline as well as other disruptions. If that happened today, it would cause widespread disruption – including causing widespread problems on both train lines that were examined in the study.
“But there have been more recent, if less powerful, examples of space weather that is powerful enough to hit power grids. In 2003, the Swedish city of Malmo suffered problems from space weather, for instance.
“The work is reported in a new study, 'Wrong Side' Failures Caused by Geomagnetically Induced Currents in Electrified Railway Signalling Systems in the UK’, published in the journal Space Weather.”
From Live Science: “Past research suggests that some whale species are more likely to get lost and accidentally beach themselves during periods of increased solar activity.” Could a rise in solar storms create problems for whales that use magnetoreception to orient themselves? https://flip.it/BhHq8l #Science#Whales#MarineLife#SolarStorms#Sun#Earth#Ocean
Have you been wondering what's happened to the sun's activity this mid-August? The sun has been busy but just need sending #solarstorms toward Earth. Stay tuned. More to come. #solarcycle25#spaceweather#spacewx
#SolarMaximum could hit us harder and sooner than we thought. How dangerous will the sun's chaotic peak be?
The sun is quickly approaching a major peak in solar activity. Experts warn it could potentially begin by the end of 2023, years before initial predictions suggested.
By Harry Baker, June 23, 2023
"Originally, scientists predicted that the current solar cycle would peak in 2025. But a bumper crop of sunspots, #SolarStorms and rare solar phenomena suggest solar maximum could arrive by the end of this year at the earliest — and several experts told Live Science we are poorly prepared. "
• The sun is becoming more active and may reach peak activity sooner than expected.
• Solar maximum was predicted to happen in 2025, but #sunspot activity has changed that.
• An unusual burst of sunspots this year suggests solar maximum could hit by the end of 2023.
"Can Bitcoin survive a Carrington Event knocking out the grid?"
So, it's the end of the world, and the first thing you are worrying about is BITCOIN?
The article also claims that it may survive even if the internet goes down due to a new sparkly satellite network, but I think that if a Carrington Event level CME WHERE to happen, there wouldn't be much satellites left.