Geomagnetic security

Solar storm INCOMING: A powerful stream of energy from the Sun will strike Earth TOMORROW

A GEOMAGNETIC storm caused by a stream of solar energy spewed by the Sun is expected to slam into the Earth by Wednesday, space weather forecasters have warned.

A geomagnetic storm watch is now in effect for Wednesday, May 15, and Thursday, May 16. US space weather forecasters at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) expect charged particles from the Sun to wash over the Earth this week. The storm watch comes five days after the Sun released a monstrous Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of hot gas known as plasma. The SWPC noticed three separate CME events this month, with the first two ready to strike this week.

The forecaster said: “The G1 Minor geomagnetic storm watch is now in effect for both 15 and 16 May, 2019, due to anticipated CME effects.

“A series of three observed Coronal Mass Ejections have taken place since May 10, 2019.

“The first two CME events are expected to arrive on May 15 and the third is anticipated to arrive the later half of May 16.”

There is some disagreement over when exactly the geomagnetic storm will strike, but May 15 and May 16 are the two most likely dates.

Geomagnetic security

'Magnetoreception' is the new human superpower we've always had

New research suggests humans have a hidden ancient superpower -- or at least an unconscious sensory perception that we've yet to figure out how to use. 

A number of animals, including migratory birds and sea turtles, have a geomagnetic sense that allows them navigate by tuning into the Earth's magnetic field. Now scientists from Caltech and the University of Tokyo have experimental evidence that humans also harbor a similar sense of magnetoreception.

"Aristotle described the five basic senses as including vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch," explained Caltech geoscientist Joseph Kirschvink, in a release. "However, he did not consider gravity, temperature, pain, balance and several other internal stimuli ... geomagnetic field sensors should also be there representing not the sixth sense but perhaps the 10th or 11th human sense to be discovered."

Kirschvink and his colleagues built a special chamber designed to be isolated from radio frequencies, sounds, light and all other potential sensory stimuli. Participants in the experiment sat in silence in the dark for an hour while researchers measured their brain waves as the artificial magnetic field around the chamber was shifted.

Geomagnetic security

Solar storm TODAY: Will a geomagnetic storm cause a tech BLACKOUT today?

A GEOMAGNETIC storm watch is in effect today after a giant hole in the Sun spewed charged particles towards the Earth – but will this cause a tech blackout today?

Intense solar space weather is associated with power fluctuations, GPS malfunction and loss of satellite communications. At their strongest, geomagnetic storms can shut down entire power grids, block out radio signals and severely disrupt satellite operations. On Tuesday, February 26, US space weather forecasters warned charged particles from the Sun will wash over the Earth between February 27 and February 28. The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) then issued a G1 geomagnetic storm watch, which is in effect right now.

Geomagnetic security

America isn't prepared for a 2 a.m. cyberattack

At 2 a.m. on a Sunday, the White House operator takes a call from the 24-hour Command Center at NASA. There’s a grid or cyber emergency. The operator asks if it’s the Russians. If it is, it would be an act of war. “Not this time.” The NASA officer says smugly. “It’s from a far more deadly source.” Fifteen hours earlier, NASA’s solar observatory satellite had detected an enormous ejection of plasma from the Sun’s surface, creating a huge geomagnetic storm in space.

The odds that this storm would intersect Earth’s orbit were infinitesimally small. But after tracking it NASA realized that it would, indeed, strike the Earth. In a little over two hours! NASA calculated that the geomagnetic storm was so huge that it would produce an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) equal to a “Carrington Event” — one that would shut down all electrical systems on the entire planet. A total blackout. No lights. No power. No Internet.

The president is awakened. The staff at the White House have the presence of mind to get the president to declare a “grid emergency” under the Federal Power Act and turn the responsibility for dealing with it over to the secretary of Energy. No one in Washington is prepared for a grid emergency caused by the sun. Russia, yes. The sun, no.

Geomagnetic security

Solar Storm WARNING: Solar flare to blast Earth with intense radiation TODAY

A solar storm alert is in affect for Tuesday April 10 and Wednesday April 11, the US SpaceWeather Prediction Center (SWPC) warned.

Scientists at the SWPC have observed a hole in the surface of the sun, which has opened up last weekend to release a “high speed stream of activity”.

The agency said: “A G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for April 10 and 11 2018 due to the arrival of a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream.”

The storm’s strongest impacts are expected to be felt across Tuesday and Wednesday “primarily poleward of 60 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude”.

People have been warned to expect weak power fluctuations and minor impacts on satellite operations.

The SWPC added: “Aurora may be visible at high latitudes, that is, northern tier of the US such as northern Michigan and Maine.”

The gigantic coronal hole in the sun’s surface was captured today by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

Coronal holes like this occasionally open up in the burning star’s magnetic field, releasing large amounts of charged particles and solar winds.

Geomagnetic security

A Solar Storm Could Spark Amazing Auroras Tonight

A strong geomagnetic storm hit planet Earth Tuesday, caused by solar winds ejected at speeds of millions of miles per hour from a hole in the sun’s corona, warned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This space weather poses no danger to humans or other biological inhabitants of the planet, although it has the potential to disrupt satellites, power grids, and radio communications.

We are fortunately protected by Earth’s own magnetic field, which literally explodes as it interacts with the charged particles blasted out from the sun. The gorgeous side effect of this process is the aurora — dancing colorful lights that appear in the sky, particularly as you get closer to the polar regions.

Some residents of both the northern and southern hemispheres were treated to a particularly wondrous display overnight Monday, and the lights are expected to continue through Tuesday night. Aurora, produced by a storm of this intensity, might be seen as far south as Oregon or Illinois. For the best seats, though, you’d better get yourself up to Alaska or northern Canada, pronto.