Solar EMP and Solar Panels

[motodude]

A lot of misinformation in this thread. 

What NASA was talking about in their press release when they issued the warning has to do with a coronal mass ejection which is basically a large ball of plasma that breaks free of the sun.  They happen all of the time.  Most go off into space.  Every now and then, one will be earth directed. 

The magnetosphere surrounding the earth shields us from a lot of the solar radiation -- but not all of it.  What gets through the magnetosphere is what causes the northern lights displays we sometimes see.

We don't have records of massive solar events going back very far in time -- because they would go totally unnoticed unless mankind was using electricity or other electronics.    One occurred in 1859 and it was called the Carrington Event named after the astronomer who witnessed the solar flare that resulted in the CME hurtling toward earth.  It caused telegraph lines to fail, shocked telegraphers, etc.

CME's occur about once every five days during the solar minimum.  They occur 3 - 4 times a day during the solar maximum.  NASA and indeed nobody can predict for certain when we're going to get hit with a massive CME.  It could happen at any time regardless of where we're at in the solar cycle.  However, Nasa made the prediction because they believe we get hit with a MASSIVE CME about every 100 years.  That means we're 50 years overdue to get hit by a MASSIVE one.  Moreover, this last solar cycle was unusually quiet.  Very unusually quiet.  Sort of like the quiet before the storm (pun intended).

NASA is looking at the odds.  Looking at the activity...and trying to warn people without causing a mass panic.

In addition to the press release, NASA released a video to their employees advising employees and their families to prepare for emergencies.  The did not specifically cite a CME.  However, the timing made it obvious why the video warning was released by NASA when it was.  This is serious.

In addition to a natural event, one nuclear weapon discharged at an altitude of 300 miles over Iowa would create an EMP large enough to blanket the entire United States and would potentially result in our entire power grid going down.  The transformers used by the grid are made over seas and made to order.  Hence, replacements would take months or years to arrive.

If you read anything about the latest nuclear testing happening in places like North Korea, their weapon gives off a small blast and a large EMP signature.  Connect the dots...  If you wanted to take out a super power in one second and disable their ability to fight back...what would you do?  Especially when you can't fight the United States head-to-head.

IRAN is developing nukes and their president has said Israel will become nothing more than a footnote in history.

If the grid goes down for months or years...much of our population would die as so many people don't know how to survive without a grocery store.

Not trying to scare anyone.  But these are the facts of the world we live in.   

[DamonHD]

This is quite an old thread to re-awake!

Rgds

Damon

[motodude]

This is quite an old thread to re-awake!

Rgds

Damon

I know!  But I only came across it today so it was new to me!

[tanner0441]

Hi

I remember in the 40s the world was going to end.... It didn't. There were several other times which likewise... It didn't.

The difference now though is, then, every garden grew food, people kept hens, for eggs and meat, a few people kept the odd pig. When you bought poultry or a rabbit for the table they had fur or feathers on. every home had cooking pots and pans and the skill to use them. I watched a program a while back and kids didn't know that chips came from potatoes, and didn't know that chicken didn't just come from KFC.

If the grid goes down the freezers go off, the microwaves won't work and the electric kettles won't boil, and millions of people will be wringing their hands and going woe is me.  the older generation who have the skills will cope, there are people on the American continent,  Australia, and Africa, who won't even notice. some people in the UK and on the continent will cope, but the big cities, London, New York, and the likes have two days supply of food in the supermarkets, no diesel or petrol, that isn't in cans, and if your in a town that is in darkness, and you have lights on. How long before someone wonders what else you have.

I think "the world" will not even notice, some people though are going to have a very rough time of it. The debatable point is that bankers and traders will discover life without calculators or phones.  Hmmm.

I will continue in my journey through life and will not lose a moments sleep on what may happen.

Brian