Hello, 2012! in Off Topic

ID:109866
 
Feb 21 2011, 3:54 pm
According to NASA, the strongest Solar Flare recorded is on its way toward us as we speak.

To summarize, a "Class-X" (how cliche) was launched from the sun on Sunday, and is barelling towards the Earth. Say goodbye to your smartphones.

News reports and press releases regarding our impending demise can be found at the following links:
Weekly World News
KXL.com
Vancouver Sun
#1 Feb 21 2011, 3:56 pm
Is this species advanced enough to prevent its own extinction?
#2 Feb 21 2011, 3:59 pm
And expect p. much not a whole lot to happen except some satellite interference, what with that magnetic field and all. If this is, in fact, the strongest recorded, then the previous record holder did very little to effect us.
#3 Feb 21 2011, 4:08 pm
Sounds like business as usual, from what I'm reading.

I wonder if a lead box could protect my phone... or maybe I'll just pull the battery.
#4 Feb 21 2011, 6:16 pm
I didn't read the links, but when should it arrive? I wouldn't expect it to take a year for a solar flare to reach Earth.
#5 Feb 21 2011, 6:25 pm
It seems different radiations take varying amounts of time to reach Earth (which makes sense), but it's sounding like most of it's already hit us. I don't know how many different types of radiation are involved, but:

"Most proton storms take two or more hours from the time of visual detection to reach Earth's orbit." - Wikipedia

"The biggest problem with an X-ray flare is that we get little warning when it is going to happen as X-rays travel at the speed of light (one of the record breaking 2003 solar flares is pictured left). X-rays from an X-class flare will reach the Earth in around eight minutes" - Universe Today

(edit)
Found a better answer:
"The explosion accelerates subatomic particles to near light-speed and spews radiation (mostly ultraviolet and gamma rays and x-rays) into space.Flares are sometimes followed by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), in which billions of tons of the sun's plasma are flung into space en masse. These huge bubbles of matter travel relatively slowly (1,000 miles a second); even the fastest ones take a day or so to reach Earth.Eight minutes after a flare erupts, Earth's atmosphere absorbs the radiation pulse. This pulse produces extra ions and electrons, causing the atmosphere to puff out. The expanded atmosphere increases drag on satellites and degrades radio and GPS signals. But the worst is yet to come. Potentially more destructive than a flare's radiation pulse, CMEs boost the speed of the solar wind and create a shockwave of energetic protons. That shockwave distorts Earth's magnetic shield, and the protons stream down on the poles creating geomagnetic disturbances like the Northern Lights. The shockwave can also destroy the electronics in satellites." - cnn