Every 10-12 years the sun goes through cycles. I guess you could say the sun is a female!! (Dodging the incoming slaps from the female members here!!!). These cycles include times of VERY minimal solar activity referred to as solar minimum and periods of VERY high amounts of solar activity referred to as solar maximum.
The last few years have been a solar minimum, but that means that solar activity is now ramping up as we get closer to the next solar maximum.
On October 28, 2021 we had our first X class solar flare in years. X class solar flares are the strongest of the solar flares and are the ones that can cause massive devastation here on earth. The flare that we had on October 28 was only an X-1 flare. This means that come the 30th and 31st(it usually takes a couple of days for the CME(coronal mass ejection) to actually make it to earth) we should be seeing the effects of the solar flare.
So what effects will we see?
From an X1 flare, most people won’t notice anything except for maybe some satellite radio disruptions, occasional GPS outages, and maybe some satellite TV disruptions. For our HAM radio friends, they will see a lot more static and other disruptions depending on the frequency used(correct me if I’m wrong). These problems won’t just happen when the CME arrives, they can happen between when the solar flare happens until the CME arrives. My family and I just got back from eating out and the restaurant had some problems with their satellite TV. I let a manager know what was going on and what was causing the problem and he just had the deer in the headlights look.
So how strong of a solar flare would it take to have major problems here on earth? That is a complicated answer. This is because not all solar flares are aimed directly at earth. The sun could belch out a super strong X50 flare that is not aimed at earth and the effects here would be very similar to what this earth directed X1 flare we are seeing now would be. At the same time, if we had an X20 flare that was earth directed, you better get ready for some big problems!
So what problems could we see with a super strong solar flare? Primarily, major problems to the electric grid as well as major satellite outages or even damage. Due to the frequency of the CME, a long antenna is needed in order to pick up on the electrical signals. It just so happens that the power lines are perfect antennas for that! HAM radio operators could also see problems with their equipment if they keep their antennas connected during a major solar storm like this.
So how do you protect your house from a major solar flare? About the only way that I am aware of is to shut off power to your entire house BEFORE the CME hits earth. About the easiest way to do this is to shut off your breakers. However, unless it is a VERY strong solar flare of at least X-10, the odds of a solar flare doing permanent damage to your house is pretty slim.
You don’t always have a 48-72 hour lead time before the CME hits though. CMEs don’t always travel at the same speed. Some go very slow and can take a little more than 72 hours to get here while some VERY fast moving CMEs can hit in as little as 24-36 hours.
A good way to keep up with this stuff without watching it all the time is to go to spaceweather.com and sign up for email alerts. Typically, you will get an email within 2-3 hours of a strong flare being detected.
I hope this helps………..
The last few years have been a solar minimum, but that means that solar activity is now ramping up as we get closer to the next solar maximum.
On October 28, 2021 we had our first X class solar flare in years. X class solar flares are the strongest of the solar flares and are the ones that can cause massive devastation here on earth. The flare that we had on October 28 was only an X-1 flare. This means that come the 30th and 31st(it usually takes a couple of days for the CME(coronal mass ejection) to actually make it to earth) we should be seeing the effects of the solar flare.
So what effects will we see?
From an X1 flare, most people won’t notice anything except for maybe some satellite radio disruptions, occasional GPS outages, and maybe some satellite TV disruptions. For our HAM radio friends, they will see a lot more static and other disruptions depending on the frequency used(correct me if I’m wrong). These problems won’t just happen when the CME arrives, they can happen between when the solar flare happens until the CME arrives. My family and I just got back from eating out and the restaurant had some problems with their satellite TV. I let a manager know what was going on and what was causing the problem and he just had the deer in the headlights look.
So how strong of a solar flare would it take to have major problems here on earth? That is a complicated answer. This is because not all solar flares are aimed directly at earth. The sun could belch out a super strong X50 flare that is not aimed at earth and the effects here would be very similar to what this earth directed X1 flare we are seeing now would be. At the same time, if we had an X20 flare that was earth directed, you better get ready for some big problems!
So what problems could we see with a super strong solar flare? Primarily, major problems to the electric grid as well as major satellite outages or even damage. Due to the frequency of the CME, a long antenna is needed in order to pick up on the electrical signals. It just so happens that the power lines are perfect antennas for that! HAM radio operators could also see problems with their equipment if they keep their antennas connected during a major solar storm like this.
So how do you protect your house from a major solar flare? About the only way that I am aware of is to shut off power to your entire house BEFORE the CME hits earth. About the easiest way to do this is to shut off your breakers. However, unless it is a VERY strong solar flare of at least X-10, the odds of a solar flare doing permanent damage to your house is pretty slim.
You don’t always have a 48-72 hour lead time before the CME hits though. CMEs don’t always travel at the same speed. Some go very slow and can take a little more than 72 hours to get here while some VERY fast moving CMEs can hit in as little as 24-36 hours.
A good way to keep up with this stuff without watching it all the time is to go to spaceweather.com and sign up for email alerts. Typically, you will get an email within 2-3 hours of a strong flare being detected.
I hope this helps………..
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