Sol image taken by NASA February 15
Why solar flare of February 14 did not cause chaos on Earth.
All energy delivered by the Sun went off innocently towards the poles of the Earth.
JOSE MANUEL NIEVES 02/2011 REUTERS
was a simple matter of luck. Aligned magnetic field so that all the energy sent by the Sun went off innocently towards the poles of the Earth. If the relative angle of the two fields (the solar particles and Earth) would have been different, things would have been able to get very ugly for us. Now, once the danger, scientists look to the future with concern. The "Valentine's Day Storm" was only the first of a solar cycle, number 24, which has just started and expected much more active than the last. It is estimated that in the coming months, there will be no less than 1,700 solar storms of equal or greater intensity that left us last week miraculously unscathed.
On 14 February, just in time for Valentine's probe SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory) spacecraft witnessed a powerful solar flare that was aimed directly at Earth. The spacecraft's instruments detected a massive flare of class X, the most powerful few are able to deliver the Sun and the largest detected during the last four years.
Astronomers prepared for the impact of a large geomagnetic storm and experts on "solar weather predicted that jets of charged particles from the Astro King would hit against destabilizing Earth's magnetic field communication systems and navigation half day in the world.
Many Northern Lights
However, with the exception of some problems in China's satellite networks, none of that happened. There was, yes, a spectacular array of northern lights, but to see them had to be as far north as Alaska, Canada or Finland. In fact, the geomagnetic storm generated by the solar flare of February 14, barely reached the G1 category on the scale of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the lowest for this class of phenomena. The maximum score, G5, applies to geomagnetic storms of extreme force, capable of "frying" in a few seconds the power grids and cause the northern lights over southern Florida.
But what exactly happened to it looked like a raging beast suddenly be transformed into a harmless puppy weather?
We are not yet able to say how strong is a geomagnetic storm until the moment it occurs.
The experts are clear. The storm was so weak because the magnetic field lines of the solar flare were aligned in parallel with the earth's field. When the sun sends, as it did on October 14, a huge mass of hot plasma into our world (which is called a coronal mass ejection), the particles that compose it have its own magnetic field, independent of the Earth or the sun itself turns out that astronomers today are unable to determine the direction of the magnetic field of the plasma until the moment of impact with Earth.
If the magnetic field of the plasma jet turns out, as was last week, parallel to the Earth, charged particles from the Sun will be blocked by the natural magnetic shield of the Earth and can not penetrate through the magnetosphere. However, identical to a flare that occurred on Valentine's Day, but with a magnetic field perpendicular to ours, would have caused a storm infinitely stronger.
"If the plasma's magnetic field is parallel to ours," says climate expert Juha-Pekka Luntama space, European Space Agency, then the arms are raised and we will be well protected. " But next time might not be so lucky as to its lineup.
There will be many "next times"
And there will certainly not one but many "next times." Indeed, it is expected that over the coming months to produce at least 1,700 geomagnetic storms like last week. A number that will increase as the sun advances in its new cycle of activity.
Big solar periods of violence that can last eleven years.
The storm of last week was only the first of this new solar cycle, number 24, which has just begun. As scientists well know, the sun alternating periods of calm with great violence in other periods (or cycles) that last eleven years. And the last minimum of solar activity (which just leave) has been much longer and quieter than usual, which has provided us with several years of deceptive calm.
few years, by the way, during which our dependence on technology has increased exponentially, leaving much more defenseless against events capable of disrupting communications and disable the power plants of almost all our civilization depends.
So, experts are now more nervous than ever about the solar maximum is coming and it will reach its peak between 2012 and 2014. The last peak occurred in 2000, and then society depended much less than systems now capable of being out of action due to a solar flare stronger than average.
Prepare best
no choice, therefore, best be prepared for what is to come. As said Jane Lubchenco, head of NOAA, during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), held last Saturday in Washington, "It's not a question of if will happen, but when it will happen and how strong will. "
The solar flare takes between ten and twenty minutes to reach.
know, for example, that when a solar flare like the last 14 days can expect from the Sun several "waves" different particles. The first comes almost immediately and at nearly the speed of light. It takes between ten and twenty minutes to reach and does so in the form of high-energy protons can penetrate the Earth's magnetic field through polar regions. This first "advance" has the potential to disrupt satellite communications.
But that's just the beginning. If the solar flare was strong enough, can lead to a coronal mass ejection, a dense plasma cloud millions of degrees and, depending on its intensity, it can take to reach the Earth between 18 hours and three days. When the plasma jet encounters the Earth's magnetic field and the orientation of its magnetic field is adequate, penetrates through it and because, by induction, intense electric currents that can damage, even destroy, our power plants, causing blackouts and power cuts.
Shields able to withstand a surge.
Currently, satellites are modern and equipped with shields can withstand the first wave of solar radiation, and emergency shutdown systems for shutting off completely until the danger has passed. But it is necessary to arbitrate also systems that can do the same with terrestrial power plants if necessary.
The network of surveillance satellites and study of the sun is steadily growing and, at present, can give us about twenty hours of time to react. If we are to avoid disaster and to practically impossible to defend against such phenomena, we should be able, at least, every time you disconnect and wait for the storm to pass ...
Videos on Youtube Sun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDVxkkhCicE&feature=player_embedded 1 / 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtVsXXXYLE4&feature=related 2 / 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWopdSs-two & ; feature = related 3 / 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFToa0O71Ik&feature=related 4 / 4
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