“If it had hit earth, we would still be picking up the pieces” Concluded Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado.
In April 2014 Scientists government officials, emergency planned, and others got together in Colorado for an annual gathering space weather workshop. The purposes of the workshops are to discuss relevant and potentially dangerous space storms. The members at the meeting were surprised to learn about a large scale solar storm that just missed earth.
The close call happened in July 2012 when a coronal mass ejection shot out from the sun as fast as 3000 kilometer per second. Researches have concluded that this storm was one of the strongest in logged solar storm history.
If the storm had happened just one week earlier, earth would have been hit, causing severe technological disturbances
The close call happened in July 2012 when a coronal mass ejection shot out from the sun as fast as 3000 kilometer per second. Researches have concluded that this storm was one of the strongest in logged solar storm history.
If the storm had happened just one week earlier, earth would have been hit, causing severe technological disturbances
There would have been two evident waves of damage associated with the dangerous solar storm. First, X-rays and ultraviolet radiation from the solar flare would have produced radio blackouts and GPS navigation errors.
Secondly, within the next day, magnetized plasma from the CME would have struck earth. Power blackouts could have been devastating, making it difficult to even flush the toilet because most urban areas use electric water pumps.
"I have come away from our recent studies more convinced than ever that Earth and its inhabitants were incredibly fortunate that the 2012 eruption happened when it did," Daniel Baker at the University of Colorado.
Howell, Elizabeth. "Huge Solar Storm of 2012 Would Have Sparked Calamity on
Earth." Space.com. N.p., Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Secondly, within the next day, magnetized plasma from the CME would have struck earth. Power blackouts could have been devastating, making it difficult to even flush the toilet because most urban areas use electric water pumps.
"I have come away from our recent studies more convinced than ever that Earth and its inhabitants were incredibly fortunate that the 2012 eruption happened when it did," Daniel Baker at the University of Colorado.
Howell, Elizabeth. "Huge Solar Storm of 2012 Would Have Sparked Calamity on
Earth." Space.com. N.p., Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
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