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NASA Warns Massive Solar Storm Will Hit Earth Soon | Space Documentary

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[Music]

in the center of our solar system

lies a serial killer

here where the powerful explosions occur

violent forces have erupted time and

time again leaving only destruction and

disruption in their wake

a century and a half ago it erupted with

such intensity that it may have been the

biggest explosion in the solar system in

all of human history

and today the countdown to the next big

disaster has begun once again

it's a story of a star that's both our

creator and Destroyer

it is the story of our son

[Music]

it's August 4th 1972.

crew members aboard the U.S task force

77 aircraft are flying over the

Strategic ports off the coast of North

Vietnam

[Music]

it's the midst of the Vietnam War

during their flyby of the haifeng harbor

they are jolted with a series of

deafening explosions

despite the clear weather and the

absence of any visible warships in sight

that could have caused such a

disturbance

in total around 20 to 30 explosions were

documented in a mere 30 second span

all of these explosions had happened

underwater

the mines had been strategically planted

there three months earlier by the United

States Navy themselves as part of

operation pocket money

a U.S plan to block North Vietnam from

Maritime trade during the Vietnam war

and these Minds were supposed to

detonate when a ship passes above them

the mine would sense a change to the

magnetic field density and trigger an

explosion

but instead all of them blasted on their

own

[Music]

for over four decades the cause of this

event remained shrouded in mystery until

a recent study of the newly Declassified

U.S Navy documents revealed that the

culprit was not of any Earthly origin

but rather

someone from above

Sun

[Music]

the sun it is an object in our solar

system that really needs no introduction

for centuries its power has spoken for

itself

to the ancient Egyptians the Sun God Ra

was one of the most important and

Powerful deities

he was often depicted with the head of a

falcon and the sun disc on his head

symbolizing his connection to the Sun

as the solar God Ra's Radiance would

warm the land bring life to crops

and cast its Golden Glow across the

Nile's Tranquil Waters

raw was believed to be the creator of

the world

responsible for bringing light and life

to the cosmos

a radiant deity who skillfully upheld

the universe's Harmony

with his Brilliance reaching every

corner of existence

therefore with such a deep influence on

their culture the ancient Egyptians

revered the Sun God Ra not only for his

life-giving power

but also for his role as the ultimate

judge observing the actions of humanity

from his Divine vantage point

and so there are many instances where

raw was also associated with his

destructive forms

one of the most well-known destructive

aspects of raw was his eye often

referred to as the eye of raw

this eye could transform into a lioness

or a fiery aggressive form representing

the destructive power of the sun's heat

and light

it was believed that raw could send his

eye as a raging weapon to punish or

destroy those who opposed him or

threatened Cosmic order

Egyptian mythology is filled with

stories much like this one wherein Ra's

anger or displeasure could lead to

destructive events such as droughts

plagues or other natural disasters

raw's anger and Furious aspect were

symbolic of the potentially destructive

power of the sun's Rays when unchecked

even today centuries later

the cultural resonance between the fury

of the Eye of Ra and the unrestrained

power of the sun endures across various

mindsets

2 in the perspectives of modern day

astrophysicists

according to NASA in an increasingly

technological world where almost

everyone relies on cell phones and GPS

controls not just your in-car map system

but also airplane navigation and the

extremely accurate clocks that govern

Financial transactions space weather is

a serious matter

recently you might have encountered an

array of news articles delving into the

escalating violence and instability

displayed by our sun

it's nearly becoming routine for the sun

to unleash at least one solar storm per

week

just a few weeks ago in June the sun

gave rise to over 160 sunspots account

not surpassed in more than two decades

it's the beginning of what scientists

call the peak of the solar cycle 25.

and while many space agencies predicted

a maximum monthly count of 125 sunspots

during the 25th solar Cycles Peak

the star is now on a trajectory to Peak

at just under 200 monthly sunspots

but what's driving this change in the

sun's Behavior how did the sun trigger

the mine explosions

there are plenty of questions

and as always space phenomena rarely

have any straightforward answer

but let's start from the beginning

[Music]

about 4.6 billion years ago a massive

cloud of gas and dust in space also

known as a molecular cloud began

collapsing under its own gravity

what triggered this collapse is still a

matter of debate among scientists

but according to the latest research and

the prevailing consensus the collapse is

believed to have been set in motion by a

nearby event that sent powerful shock

waves such as a supernova explosion or

the gravitational forces exerted by

Young stars as they compressed the

surrounding gas

because of the shock wave the molecular

cloud began to contract starting to spin

faster and faster and finally flattened

into a rotating disc due to the

conservation of angular momentum

this flattened disc would eventually

give rise to our future solar system

in the center of this spinning disc a

dense region began to form due to

gravitational attraction

drawing in gas and dust from the

surrounding area this dense core

accumulated more and more material

and as the core grew in both size and

Mass

its gravitational pull intensified thus

attracting even more material

eventually the increasing pressure

caused temperatures in the core to

Skyrocket reaching millions of degrees

Celsius or Fahrenheit

at these super high temperatures a

process known as nuclear fusion began to

initiate

hydrogen atoms in the core collided with

each other with such force that they

merged and formed helium atoms releasing

an Untold amount of energy in the

process

pushing against the pull of gravity that

was attempting to crush the star's

material the energy from these nuclear

fusion reactions strive to move outward

creating a pressure that sought to

expand the star

this delicate equilibrium between

outward pushing energy and the inward

pulling gravity established a stable

state that has persisted for billions of

years

the Inception of this balance marked the

birth of a new star in the universe

our sun

this outward moving energy travels from

the sun's layers to its surface where

it's emitted as sunlight

this energy manifests as both light and

heat extending to every planet and

object within our solar system

fast forward to the present day and the

sun finds itself halfway through its

life cycle shining about 30 percent more

brightly than it did in its earlier

stages

it currently experiences the most stable

phase of its life cycle known as the

main sequence a state it is maintained

since its Inception roughly 4.6 billion

years ago

therefore unlike most other violent

Stars our sun has provided for a

relatively stable environment in which

life can flourish

its energy permeates nearly every facet

of Life on our planet the Vitality of

our ecosystems the warmth that Embraces

us and the sustenance of countless

organisms all hinge on this Cosmic

Wellspring

the Sun's light forms the Bedrock of our

existence nurturing growth guiding

weather patterns and invigorating

Earth's complex Web of Life

just look at how precisely it provides

just the right amount of warmth and

Light enabling plants to undergo

photosynthesis wherein they harness the

sun's energy and convert it into

essential carbohydrates

gradually this solar energy travels up

the food chain ultimately nourishing us

humans

as we consume and metabolize this food

we gain The crucial energy that keeps

our bodies functioning properly

this transfer of energy traces a

remarkable path back to the Sun

the source of all life and the first

link in the food chain

the sun is our creator

yet beneath its gentle cradle

Shadows of uncertainty have found refuge

for billions of years

visualizing the sun via the eyes of

space observatories reveals an entirely

different story

much like every other star even our own

star boasts a landscape of dynamic

activity

in fact the most powerful explosions in

the solar system occur here

each passing second Witnesses the

generation of more energy through these

eruptions than Humanity has consumed

throughout its entire history and to be

fair It's Perfectly Normal for our Sun

to produce this much energy

however problems start arising when such

huge amounts of energies get trapped and

locked within the Sun

similar to how Earth's magnetic field is

created by the movement of its core The

Sun Also possesses its unique magnetic

field generated by the motion of charged

particles in its superheated core

emerging from the solar surface this

magnetic field extends beyond the

confines of the sun's outermost

atmospheric layer

reaching out into the vast expanse of

the solar system

accompanying it is the unending stream

of solar particles known as the solar

wind

the solar wind consists of a continuous

flow of charged particles primarily

electrons and protons that Journey

outward from the Sun into outer space

this wind emerges from the sun's

incredibly high temperatures and the

intense energy present within its

outermost layer known as the corona

the Corona's extreme heat provides

enough kinetic energy to propel

particles to achieve tremendous speeds

allowing them to break free from the

sun's gravitational grasp this process

gives birth to an uninterrupted Cascade

of such particles

this solar wind however is far from

uniform it comprises a complex mixture

of particles characterized by varying

speeds densities and energies that form

an unceasing yet ever-changing stream

that permeates the entirety of the solar

system their journey is facilitated by

the sun's magnetic field which guides

the path of these particles and gives

rise to a form of space weather

during a typical day the solar wind

flows continuously past the Earth 24 7.

distorting its magnetic field and

pulling it around the back in a

tail-like structure

our Earth's magnetic field easily

manages to withstand most of these winds

some of them engage with Earth's

magnetosphere and atmosphere

different gas particles in the

atmosphere produce different colors in

auroras nitrogen atom auroras look red

oxygen green and hydrogen blue

auroras become visible in various

locations depending on the intensity of

the solar wind striking Earth

and as a result these otherwise

dangerous particles from the Sun are

rendered harmless and become a rather

beautiful phenomenon

these breathtaking displays of light are

a common occurrence on nearly all

planets within our solar system and they

typically do not cause harm or

disruption to planetary routines

however as the rotational speed between

the sun's poles and equator increases it

initiates a twisting Motion in the

magnetic field giving rise to a complex

and entangled structure and amplifying

its power even further

this results in the formation of

magnetic knots that accumulate enormous

amounts of energy akin to a coiled

rubber band

when these knots eventually twist and

snap the pent-up energy is released into

space

if Earth finds itself in the wrong place

at the wrong time during such an energy

discharge events like geomagnetic storms

can unfold

[Music]

the last time a strong solar wind

hurricane washed over Earth was in 1859

the Carrington event the largest

geomagnetic storm ever observed on Earth

September 1st 1859

a powerful storm started Gathering force

on the surface of the Sun

it's the beginning of the most violent

explosion in our solar system

in a matter of minutes a blazing Ark

began its Ascent from the surface of the

Sun

surpassing the size of Earth multiple

times over

at some time during noon on that very

day

the ark finally reached its breaking

point and a huge mass of solar material

was ejected into space

only one slight problem

it was pointed squarely at Earth

the event however hadn't gone unnoticed

an English astronomer by the name of

Richard Carrington was independently

observing the sun using his telescope

when he suddenly noticed something odd

through his lens he spots two bright

flashes of light bursting onto the

surface of the Sun

however lacking a comprehensive

understanding of this newfound

phenomenon he failed to grasp the

significance of what had just transpired

he moves on and resumes his study of the

Sun as usual believing that there was no

sign that anything should be amiss

but although he didn't realize it then

Richard Carrington had just witnessed

the beginning of something that would

eventually become the most intense solar

storm in all of human history

racing at a velocity of around 2 000

kilometers per second the solar Outburst

hurdled closer to Earth with every

passing minute on track to make impact

within the next 18 hours

as Darkness enveloped half the globe the

majority of the population remained

blissfully oblivious to the imminent

disaster that would unfold in the hours

to come

it is September the 2nd 1859 the Earth

is finally struck by a powerful solar

storm

observers from around the globe are

treated to its arrival

particles from the solar Outburst

energize the atoms present in the upper

layers of Earth's atmosphere

giving rise to a mysterious glow in the

night sky at various locations

reports indicate that that night these

lights now known as auroras or Northern

or Southern Lights were visible even

down to Regions such as Europe North

America and even as far as Mexico and

Cuba

people woke up at night confused and

still tired they were sure it was

already mourning since it was so bright

outside

but when they peered out of their

Windows they discovered it wasn't the

sunlight

the skies were lit by countless intense

auroras red green and purple

people gathered and gazed upwards

terrified and awestruck in equal measure

many people around the world had never

seen an aurora before so they were

unsure of how to interpret the sky's

unusual brightness

for almost a week those living in the

northeastern part of the United States

could read a newspaper just using the

Aurora's light

the vast majority had no idea what they

were witnessing and only surmised it to

be the end of the world

however as mesmerizing as the auroras

were an unsettling occurrence had

unfolded

the telegraph which was the sole

communication system at the time had

caught fire along the lines at several

places

the intense surge of solar energy

overloaded the telegraph lines causing

widespread fires and electrical

malfunctions at multiple points along

the network

with the telegraph system paralyzed

communication breakdowns caused

confusion delays and economic losses

emergency responses were hindered and

families separated by distance couldn't

connect during the crisis adding to

their worries

the aftermath was Dire the collapse of

the telegraph system induced disruptions

that persisted for several days

but shockingly in certain regions there

were reports that people could still use

their devices and send and receive

messages as if an electric charge

coursed through the air

in the majority of cases however there

were operators who encountered electric

shocks while handling their devices with

Telegraph pylons crackling with Sparks

repairing the lines consumed months of

dedicated effort

people simply couldn't wrap their heads

around what was happening and back then

very few people knew that the sun was to

blame for the chaos

the event marked our first silent

warning

a clear indication that our otherwise

peaceful Star located 90 million miles

away from us and visible to us every day

possessed the power to disrupt our way

of life and communication

fortunately in those days our Reliance

on electricity and electronics was

minimal

so we were lucky enough to escape with

such a small warning

by looking back in time you'll quickly

realize that it's nothing short of a

miracle just how narrowly and closely we

have escaped numerous technological and

economic doomsday scenarios that could

have Arisen from the Sun

May 15 1921

the 1921 railroad storm of New York also

known as the great railroad storm stands

as another witness of the horrors that

space weather can wreak

in the early 1920s railroads were the

vital arteries and lifelines of

transportation and commerce connecting

cities and industries across vast

distances

Telegraph communication was an essential

tool for coordinating train schedules

managing operations and ensuring the

safety of passengers and cargo

May 15 1921 changed everything

a colossal solar storm erupted from the

sun's surface unleashing a powerful

burst of solar plasma towards Earth

the burst was so massive and energetic

that it disrupted the Earth's magnetic

field in minutes upon impact

as the solar Storm's charged particles

interacted with the Earth's magnetic

field powerful induced currents surged

through the extensive Telegraph Network

that ran parallel to the Rail lines

Telegraph operators stationed in

railroad hubs suddenly found their

communication lines plagued by intense

interference

messages became garbled and crucial

instructions were lost amidst the

chaotic signals

the disruption of telegraph

communication had severe consequences

for the smooth functioning of the

railroad system train schedules became

erratic and unreliable causing delays

and confusion for passengers and Freight

dispatchers struggled to relay critical

information and the coordination of

train movements became a formidable

challenge

March 13 1989

130 years later on March 13

1989 the sun Unleashed its power once

again with repercussions even more

profound

this time the entire Canadian province

of Quebec was blacked out once again the

massive influx of electrical currents

and charged particles from the Sun

overwhelmed the transmission lines and

caused a cascading failure across the

province's power grid

within seconds the entire electrical

network was compromised and Quebec was

left in complete darkness

more than 6 million people were left

without electricity for several hours

with frigid winter conditions adding to

the challenge

the outage brought life to a standstill

disrupting Transportation Systems

shutting down businesses and leaving

residents stranded in buildings and

elevators the lack of electricity also

resulted in the shutdown of water

treatment plants leaving citizens

without access to clean water

the impact of the blackout even extended

Beyond Quebec's borders affecting parts

of the Northeastern United States as

well but while the American grid was

more resilient the interconnected nature

of the Power Systems meant that the

disturbances could have easily spread

across the region highlighting the

vulnerability of interconnected

electrical Networks

as darkness and silence blanketed the

cities during that night they resembled

nothing more than Eerie ghost towns

some regions had their power restored

within a few hours While others took

several days to recover

July 23 2012.

a modern day wake-up call resounded in

2012 when the end of the Mayan calendar

stirred widespread fears of an asteroid

Collision that could extinguish all Life

as We Know It

although nothing like that happened fate

however took a different course and

something truly unexpected did take

place that year on July 23 2012 the

scariest chain of events overtook our

entire solar system

two enormous bursts of charged outbursts

were released by the sun

expansive electrified gas clouds rapidly

expanded and raced outward

fortunately our planet was present on

the other side at the time of this

eruption however had this event occurred

just nine days earlier our planet would

have been squarely in the path of that

storm

it could have taken as much as a decade

to fully regain normalcy and an

onslaught of major disruptions to

electronics Communications and power

grids on the ground to Aviation

equipment and satellites in the sky

would have been inevitable

even the depths of the ocean would not

have been spared

with underwater online communication

cables facing destruction the world

would have plunged into a month's long

internet apocalypse

with estimated damages reaching billions

if not trillions of dollars

total Havoc would ensue on the ground in

the sky and beneath the waves

and the truth is some countries might

still be grappling with the aftermath of

that powerful solar wind even to this

day

given our ever-expanding Reliance on

technology the rapid pace of scientific

advancements and our Ambitions in space

exploration it's becoming increasingly

apparent that underestimating the sun's

impact on Earth is a blunder Humanity

can no longer afford

realization of the sun's capacity to

influence our way of life has brought us

face to face with a new kind of

burgeoning field heliophysics

data from the sun's exterior scientists

globally have started monitoring and

modeling these fields as they erupt all

around the sun's surface twisting and

looping

plasma Rising toward the surface follows

these magnetic field lines which can

sometimes stifle the rising columns

forming relatively cool patches

that's where sunspots form

each Sunspot can be anywhere from 15

kilometers in size to around 160

000 kilometers that's 10 times the size

of Earth

four centuries ago with the Advent of

telescopes in the 17th century

astronomers worldwide gained the ability

to closely observe the sun's surface

not knowing that looking at our very own

star would damage his eyesight Galileo

Galilei pointed his telescope towards

the Sun

governed that the sun has dark moving

spots he called them sunspots

Galileo's telescopic observations of

sunspots marked a turning point in the

systematic study of the Sun

he was the first to argue that these

blotches were actually on the sun's

surface though he suspected they were

clowns

he made several other groundbreaking

observations leading to the realization

that the sun was not a perfect

unblemished spear but a dynamic entity

with its own set of mysteries

the nature of these sunspots remained

unclear until 1908 when astronomer

George Ellery Hale demonstrated the link

between them and magnetic fields

over time scientists have carefully

studied the peculiar shapes of sunspots

in their quest for understanding

what they didn't see until recently was

the pressure building around them

using data from the solar and

heliospheric Observatory Soho scientists

are learning to read undulations on the

surface of the Sun the results of

pressure waves ricocheting through its

volume

like the study of earthquakes on Earth

this field called Helio seismology is a

window into the movements of gases

inside the sun

it can also generate predictions of

sunspots including those forming on the

far side

detectors aboard the Soho spacecraft

have managed to catch the movement when

the energy capped by a sunspot is

suddenly released a shock wave travels

rapidly outward like a solar tsunami

with enough Force to circle the star

that signals the start of a coronal mass

ejection or a CME a coronal mass

ejection is a powerful event on the sun

where it releases a huge burst of

charged particles magnetic fields and

plasma into space

with a Corona graph to block out the

bright light of the sun we can see how

violent our sun can get

if a CME is detected blasting out from

behind this artificial Eclipse you know

that our satellites and Power Systems on

Earth are going to get hit hard

especially if it's been launched in the

direction of where Earth will be in its

orbit in about 24 to 36 hours

when solar winds of a coronal mass

ejection event hit Earth it's an

entirely different story they'll

severely compress Earth's magnetic field

as they pass creating an intense

geomagnetic storm and when a magnetic

field line breaks the charged particles

trapped in it travel back to Earth

inducing electrical currents into the

Earth's surface and anything running

over it such as power lines

it'll also pack the boundary of Earth

with solar plasma

as this plasma interacts with Earth's

magnetic field turbulence emerges along

its Leading Edge cracks begin to form

puncturing and creating openings in

Earth's protective shield enabling the

entry of vast amounts of radioactive

particles into the atmosphere

these particles originate from another

phenomena known as solar flares

these coronal mass ejections are not

isolated events instead they often

coincide with something known as solar

flares

a solar flare can be conceptualized as a

volatile eruption transpiring on the

sun's surface varying in duration from

minutes to hours

players materialize as surges of charged

radioactive particles and x-rays

hurtling towards space at the speed of

light large solar flares can release

enough energy to power the entire United

States for a million years

and to better understand their nature

scientists have classified flares

according to their strength

the smallest ones are b-class followed

by c m and X as the largest

similar to the Richter scale for

earthquakes each letter represents a

tenfold increase in energy output

an X is 10 times an m and 100 times a c

within each letter class there's an even

finer scale from one to nine

C-Class flares are too weak to

noticeably affect Earth

in class flares can induce momentary

radio blackouts at the poles and minor

radiation storms that might jeopardize

astronauts

it's the x-class flares that are the

real powerhouses

although X is the highest letter on the

scale

some flares go even Beyond nine in their

strength

the Carrington event was an x-45 class

flare

Quebec blackout was an X 1.4 class

and the solar storm of 2012 was an x-28

class flare

the Carrington storm of 1859 is the

largest recorded solar storm ever

recorded the existence of solar flares

stronger than this is anyone's best

guess

a powerful x-class flare like that today

could create long-lasting radiation

storms which can harm satellites and

even get airline passengers flying near

the Pole's radiation doses

is what happened in 2016 to Marie Moe a

cyber security researcher Mo felt her

pacemaker glitch while on a plane to

Amsterdam a muscle in her chest started

to Twitch

she looked down and the muscle was

visibly pulsating

Mo alerted the cabin crew who arranged

for an ambulance to be ready and waiting

for her at the airport

the pacemaker was examined as she landed

and its data was found to be bizarrely

corrupted

once she was discharged from hospital

she received a detailed report from her

pacemakers manufacturer about what had

happened

inside the pacemaker's computer memory

data is stored in the form of bits often

referred to as ones and zeros one of

these crucial bits had inexplicably

flipped or reversed triggering the

pacemaker to shift in to backup mode and

restore her heart rate to a default

rhythm of 70 beats per minute

although Mo believed that radioactive

particles from solar flares caused the

issue with her device the link was never

approved and will never be proved since

these particles leave no measurable

fingerprints behind

a similar bit flip incident occurred

during a 2008 Qantas Airways flight over

Western Australia

the aircraft dropped hundreds of feet

twice within 10 minutes resulting in

injuries to dozens of passengers on

board

some suffered bruises to their limbs

While others struck their hands against

the cabin's interior once again the link

was never proven

similarly for decades the phenomenon of

U.S military mines exploding in Vietnam

due to solar effects remained a mystery

until someone finally connected the dots

a new study accepted by the Journal

space weather has proposed a possible

explanation for this enigmatic wartime

event

according to the researchers the mines

were likely triggered by a powerful

solar storm which activated the mine's

magnetic sensors and resulted in

unexpected explosions

many of these mines that a detonated

randomly were classified as magnetic

influence sea mines designed to detect

alterations in the magnetic field caused

by passing ships

in the days leading up to the explosions

a sunspot region known as

mr-11976 Unleashed a series of brilliant

flares energetic particles and

earth-directed ejecta

the coronal mass ejection from the Sun

reached Earth in just 14.6 hours

it was an incredible coincidence that

baffled military historians and

scientists alike

Global radio blackouts and radiation

storms in the upper atmosphere are also

not uncommon consequences of severe

x-class flares

additionally extensive mobile phone

outages and Transformer explosions have

been reported in regions affected by

strong flares in the past

disruptions can hamper satellite

operations interrupt radio

communications and pose a risk to

astronauts in space

imagine astronauts standing on the

moon's surface focused on their mission

conducting experiments taking samples

but suddenly the Tranquility is

shattered as a burst of energy erupts

from the Sun a coronal mass ejection the

moon lacking a significant atmosphere

and a global magnetic field like Earths

offers minimal protection against these

intense space weather events

these lethal radiation doses could pose

both immediate and long-term health

risks to the astronauts potentially

leading to radiation sickness and an

elevated risk of cancer over time

in such a crucial scenario the lunar

module would serve as their sole Refuge

these structures were designed to

withstand the normal radiation levels

encountered on the moon during their

missions however with no other option

and the sudden occurrence of a solar

storm might compel the crew to seek

shelter within the most shielded

sections of their habitat

fortunately the Apollo missions did not

encounter such extreme solar events they

were meticulously scheduled to avoid

periods of heightened solar activity

however as WE peer into the future of

space exploration including extended

lunar or Martian missions comprehending

and mitigating the risks posed by space

weather events like solar storms would

be essential developing Advanced

radiation shielding and early Warning

Systems will stand as crucial elements

in ensuring the safety and success of

astronauts embarking on these remarkable

Journeys beyond our planet

as for astronauts aboard the

International Space Station which has

been orbiting Earth since the year 2000

NASA made sure the station is heavily

shielded

Additionally the ISS orbits within

Earth's protective magnetic field

nevertheless despite our preparations

the reality is that Earth's magnetic

field strength has gradually declined

over the past 200 years

weakening by approximately 10 percent

during this period

this trend has sparked several concerns

among scientists about the potential

implications for our planet's defense

against future solar storms

if Earth's magnetic field continues to

weaken it may reach a juncture where it

becomes less effective in safeguarding

our planet from these rapidly

accelerated charged solar particles

Magnetic storms of the same level could

become more severe and pose greater

challenges to our technological

infrastructure

therefore today it's more important than

ever to predict solar storms in advance

and know when the next big flare may

occur

scientists and astrophysicists posit

that by seeking Insight from the sun's

surface itself we can uncover valuable

Clues to predict solar storms

because intriguingly our sun exhibits a

fascinating long-term pattern that

appears to come and go not randomly but

with a striking consistency

this pattern created by the sun spots

themselves is called the sunspot cycle

and a single cycle lasts for about 11

years

it can be as short as eight or as long

as 14 years and it can vary dramatically

in intensity

during one cycle the number of sunspots

a good indicator of solar activity goes

from low to high and back down to low

solar minimum represents a time when

Sunspot numbers are relatively low

and solar maximum represents a period

when Sunspot numbers are relatively High

during this cycle the location of the

sunspots also changes they tend to be

situated at middle latitudes during

solar maximum gradually shifting closer

to the Equator as the sun approaches

solar minimum at times of solar minimum

sunspots may even be absent from

observation while solar maximum can

witness the presence of multiple

sunspots simultaneously

the number of sunspots is important

because sun spots are the visual markers

of where powerful magnetic fields can

emerge from the sun's interior

as discussed these magnetic fields power

solar flares and coronal mass ejections

which can affect Earth and other objects

in the solar system as these sunspots

increase on the sun's surface so does

the frequency and severity of flares and

CMEs

the sun's 11-year cycle is a symptom of

a longer 22-year cycle called the solar

cycle or hail cycle which affects the

sun's magnetic fields

every 11 years the sun's poles flip

North becomes South and South becomes

North

consequently every 22 years the poles

return to their original position where

the cycle began

the flip is due to the complex movement

of magnetic fields inside the Sun that

are constantly stretching twisting and

Crossing as solar material bubbles up

from the sun's core

but the exact pattern of movements is

not yet mapped out

how's the Sunspot Cycle follows a

similar pattern regardless of the

orientation of the poles it only takes

half as long as the solar cycle

the two cycles are different but the 11

year sunspot cycle is what is often

referred to as the solar cycle

right now the sun is approaching solar

maximum which is the current solar cycle

25.

so flares and CMEs are more common than

they were a few years ago

consequently you might have come across

numerous news articles discussing these

phenomena

NASA even maintains a dedicated website

where you can keep track of them

yourself

the current solar cycle is expected to

Peak in 2025.

recognizing this urgency explains why

NASA and governments around the world

are taking space weather forecasts

seriously

and to avoid being caught off guard they

have declared space weather forecasts to

be a priority in the development of

science

the UK government for instance has

listed severe space weather as one of

the highest priority natural hazards in

the National risk register

solar storms are now included on the UK

National risk register of civil

emergencies and the meteorological

office is tasked with monitoring and

forecasting space weather events

the perceived risks associated with

space weather events are rated as having

high impact and likelihood

in response UK scientists are currently

working on developing the first space

weather monitor the country has seen in

a generation

the monitor will help scientists predict

when and where solar storms will occur

allowing them to warn and protect Earth

from the potential damage caused by

these events

in the UK the National Grid has been

replacing high voltage Transformers with

newer designs which are more resilient

to extracurrent surges the strategy in

the UK is that if a large CME is

expected they will turn on as much of

the 8 000 kilometers of UK power lines

as possible to dump the extra energy

over the entire system and drain it back

to Earth

rather than allowing it to overload a

few Key System areas costing costly and

lengthy repairs

in the United States the government has

taken substantial measures to prepare

for the potential impact of a Carrington

level solar storm

one of the central elements of these

efforts is the establishment of

comprehensive monitoring and early

warning systems

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration NOAA operates the space

weather prediction center

swpc in Boulder Colorado

this Center closely monitors solar

activity and issues alerts and forecasts

regarding potential solar storms

detected solar storm information is then

disseminated to various user groups

ranging from Airlines and the electric

power grid to emergency managers and the

aviation satellite community

the United States Geological Survey USGS

monitors the Earth's magnetic field at

14 ground-based observatories positioned

across the United States and its

territories

scientists continuously monitor the

geomagnetic field throughout the nation

providing information on magnetic storm

intensity

remarkably some USGS observatories have

been operational for over a century

in 2016 President Obama signed an

executive order aimed at orchestrating

Endeavors to ready the nation for space

weather incidents

this directive's objective is to curtail

economic losses Safeguard lives and

enhance National Security

it mandates the establishment of

comprehensive Nationwide response and

Recovery strategies an interweaving

Technologies designed to alleviate the

impacts of space weather phenomena

these measures undertaken are necessary

since comparing the economic impact of

solar storms to some famous natural

disasters in the United States alone

provides a stark realization of their

potential consequences

the cost associated with solar storms

could surpass that of the top 10 natural

disasters in the U.S combined including

events like Hurricane Katrina hurricane

Harvey and wildfires that have ravaged

the nation in recent years

natural disasters have never known

borders drawn by humans and in the end

it's all down to the individual

countries and their power companies to

make sure that when the once in a

hundred years CME comes along the lights

won't go out

it is truly said that no Nation can ever

be fully prepared for such a violent

scenario

scientists worry that one big problem

with solar flares is that it has no

upper limit making them an unpredictable

and formidable force to reckon with

the sheer scale of Destruction it can

unleash is beyond human comprehension

an x-class flare can trigger one of the

largest CMEs that can blast a billion

tons of matter out at speeds of 3 000

kilometers per second or 1900 miles per

second

a large enough CME can also expand in

size as it propagates away from the Sun

and then quadruple in size by the time

it reaches our planet

a single CME is able to hold and release

energy equal to 10 billion one Megaton

nuclear bombs or equal to millions of

years worth of electricity usage by

Humanity in just a few weeks

according to NASA the sun generates

anything from one CME every week to

several per day depending on where we

are in this 11-year cycle of activity

currently each year Earth experiences

thousands of solar flares and CMEs on

average

thanks to Earth's strong magnetic field

or magnetosphere the majority of CMEs

pass by our planet unnoticed by the

general population or we avoid them

completely by not being in their path

among the various solar flares produced

by the sun most are small C-Class and

m-class flares

however every once in a while we do

encounter x-class flares accompanied by

large coronal mass ejections most of the

time we have been lucky not to be in

their path

estimates vary but many believe that a

Carrington level event might strike

Earth on average once every 150 years

over 160 years have passed since then by

some measures we are overdue

the question has now shifted from if to

rather when

the day a Carrington level event strikes

Our Generation could be blindsided by an

unprecedented catastrophe for which we

are currently utterly unprepared

in the world we live in today we have

thousands of important satellites

orbiting above

2022 despite warnings from space

organizations many SpaceX satellites

fell from the sky during solar flares

they have lost 50 million dollars worth

of satellites to geomagnetic storms

in the future too if a large enough

storm strikes Satellites May plummet

from the sky due to lack of control and

orbital guidance

on the ground the potential damage to

North America's power grid would be

unimaginable

Transformers which are extremely

expensive to build make Power

transmission possible however when a CME

sweeps across earth these towers

designed to handle AC currents are

instead flooded with DC currents

this may cause them to overheat melt or

even explode as was the case in 1989 in

Quebec Canada

Life as we know it would come to a halt

cellular towers would begin to fail

anything reliant on local power from

your cell phone charger to critical

infrastructure would become inoperable

this includes Last Mile Communications

as well such as cable TV or Internet

in the absence of lighting certain

individuals might find a window of

opportunity to engage in disruptive

activities

you may be familiar with accounts of

increased theft and burglaries occurring

during power outages

the absence of usual lights and security

systems would create a more conducive

environment for illicit actions to take

place

the usual sense of safety would

disappear once the streets that used to

be bustling with light become shadowy

alleys

unbridled Panic buying and widespread

looting from stores further exasperating

the challenges faced during such times

and irrespective of the balance on your

card its monetary value becomes zero as

ATMs would cease to function rendering

it temporarily inaccessible

the Contemporary economy would grind to

a halt in the absence of electricity

moreover in many cities water

distribution depends on electric pumps

if the power goes out water becomes

unavailable

plus imagine the turmoil at the

hospitals and other locations given that

the majority of our medical

infrastructure depends on electricity

and the internet

imagine the situation of the people who

would need critical life support systems

that are powered by electricity

hospitals could theoretically lose

access to patient information

military and Defense Forces rely heavily

on real-time communication for strategic

decision-making coordination between

units and sharing critical intelligence

solar storms can disrupt radio

frequencies and satellite communication

potentially leading to delays or even

failures in transmitting crucial

information

in this setting a soldier on the verge

of a life or death moment would be alone

devoid of any communication

the storm's impact would extend to

additional areas with approximately 10

000 airplanes navigating the sky's

simultaneously each reliant on GPS for

precision the prospect of their

navigation systems going blank would

mark an unprecedented catastrophe

while a fraction of flights might manage

to land safely a substantial number

would find themselves in Dire Straits

this upheaval might not be fleeting the

aftermath could leave a lasting scar

power grids could suffer irreparable

harm unless preemptively shut down to

Shield them from the oncoming storm

given the immense scale of some Power

Systems experts speculate that the worst

case scenario could necessitate up to a

decade for a full recovery

a separate 2008 report from the National

Academy of Sciences Nas theorized that a

moderatively severe geomagnetic storm

could leave a hundred thirty million

Americans without power

according to FEMA power grids on the

east and west coasts of America would be

hardest hit

furthermore it's interesting how natural

disasters often Trace back to solar

storms

researchers have noticed a pattern

earthquakes tend to Surge during times

of intense solar activity

this might explain the massive magnitude

9.1 earthquake in 2004 which not only

shook the ground but also triggered a

devastating tsunami in Indonesia the

impact was felt across India Thailand

Bangladesh the Maldives Sri Lanka and

Somalia

resulting in a staggering loss of life

over 283

000 people gone more than 14 000 missing

and more than a million left homeless

a few months earlier the sun had erupted

with a massive x-class solar flare

if we are not prepared the consequences

will be dire

The World At Large will be thrown into

chaos

because compared to the early 20th

century we are much more advanced and

dependent on electricity

scientists have been warning about this

for a long time

perhaps the present moment could be

opportune for prioritizing the

protection and investment of tax funds

into our electrical infrastructure

because in our modern world it isn't a

problem of the past it's a problem that

is more relevant today than ever before

we survived the recent pandemic by using

remote work Solutions but these tools

would be essentially useless in case of

a geomagnetic storm

the scale of the event would be unlike

anything Humanity would have ever

encountered

a moderately severe storm would cost the

U.S economy 2.6 trillion dollars in

total and Recovery could take up to 10

years as per an Nas report

in short a solar storm of a Carrington

level event would literally bring our

high-tech Society to its knees

dealing with space weather is no walk in

the park

and no matter how much we unravel no

matter how many various models foresee

various outcomes one lingering question

is always asked when will the next solar

storm strike

trying to predict when the next

Carrington level event will strike is

like aiming at a moving Target

though the estimates vary many experts

agree that people born after the 90s

will likely experience an extraordinary

solar storm at some point in their

future

as for exact timing it's a puzzle we're

still piecing together

the Space Age marked a new era in solar

astronomy

satellites like the solar maximum

Mission smm launched in the 1980s

provided an unprecedented view of solar

flares and eruptions in various

wavelengths

the solar and heliospheric Observatory

and the Solar Dynamics Observatory have

continued this Legacy

offering real-time insights into the

sun's magnetic activity solar wind and

other Dynamic processes

ready to face the raw power of an

x-class flare directed at our planet

NASA and NOAA are always on high alert

keeping a close watch on the Sun

NASA's heliophysics Fleet of spacecraft

has Our Stars surrounded giving us a

clearer picture of its activities

this comprehensive view helps scientists

predict and track space weather events

like flares and dramatic chronal Mass

ejections with greater accuracy

with a heads up governments and

companies can take steps to protect

their Tech and prevent worst case

scenarios

for years scientists at Nasa have wanted

to get up close and personal with the

sun and now they're doing just that with

the Parker solar probe set to give us

unprecedented insights

by 2025 it's supposed to make actual

contact with the sun blazing at speeds

up to 690

000 kilometers per hour or 430 000 miles

per hour making it the fastest thing

humans have ever built

Beyond this the probe has already flown

close enough to the Sun to detect the

fine structure of the solar wind close

to where it is generated at the sun's

surface revealing details that are lost

as the wind exits the corona as a

uniform blast of charged particles

NASA also envisions a future where solar

storm Sirens could be employed sounding

alarms and power stations and satellite

control centers worldwide similar to how

tornado sirens alert communities to

impending terrestrial weather events

to achieve this they are developing a

model known as dagger deep learning

geomagnetic perturbation

this model employs artificial

intelligence to analyze data from

spacecraft observations of the solar

wind the researchers have applied an AI

method called Deep learning which trains

computers to recognize patterns based on

previous samples and can provide a lead

time of 30 minutes for an impending

solar storm anywhere on Earth giving

enough time for critical systems to be

shut down or protected dagger was put to

the test using data from two geomagnetic

storms that occurred in August 2011 and

March 2015.

impressively in each case daggers

swiftly and accurately predicted the

storm's Global impact

the method's Precision is such that the

model can generate predictions in less

than a second with updates provided

every minute according to the team's

findings

but it's captivating to think that

despite our technological leaps we're

still at the mercy of the celestial

eruptions there's virtually nothing we

can do to physically halt a massive

solar flare hurtling towards us

however despite the obvious challenges

it's not all gloom and doom unlike the

occurrences in 1859 1921 1989 and 2012

we are in a much much better position to

anticipate a geomagnetic Storm's arrival

but how we respond to this warning would

shape the aftermath of such an event a

Swift and coordinated response would

involve temporarily taking offline any

systems that might be susceptible to

damage during the event

according to experts in this best case

scenario a Carrington level event might

cause about a week of significant

disruption worldwide

on the other hand there's the worst case

scenario in which we're ill-prepared or

caught unaware by a sudden Carrington

level event

the result would be one of the most

massive blackouts in history a

simultaneous loss of power communication

breakdowns and the collapse of most

modern technology

we're entering the riskiest phase of

solar activity in this whole decade the

solar maximum of the year 2025.

what if a really strong solar storm

happens soon will we have any options

on a personal level it's wise to take

precautions outlined by the U.S

government's National Weather Service in

case of an emergency

it includes keeping your car's gas tank

at least half full as gas stations rely

on electricity to operate pumps

store extra batteries for your phone or

consider getting a solar powered or hand

crank charger

if you have a traditional landline phone

ensure you have a non-cordless receiver

this type of phone will work even

without power

regularly duplicate critical digital

data and information and establish a

family contact sheet with an out of town

contact who could assist in connecting

family members during an emergency

some key actions involve staying indoors

following local authorities instructions

and contributing to your community

by doing this collectively we can Shield

ourselves from even the most severe

storms to some extent

after a week normalcy could gradually

return

if we manage the disaster effectively

the aftermath could be considerably less

costly compared to other natural

calamities like hurricanes or

earthquakes

nevertheless preparedness is Paramount

asteroids heading for the Earth are

always kept an eye on

these solar storms are quiet they strike

in the darkness and pose a threat to the

entire modern civilization

in addition to the familiar natural

disasters such as Cyclones Rising floods

and volcanic eruptions there is a new

type of danger up there in space one

we've recently discovered

space weather should be more concerning

than it is

we are destined to share our existence

with our son for countless more

Millennia and with each new day as the

sun rises above the horizon

it's just another reminder that we are

living with a star

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NASA Warns Massive Solar Storm Will Hit Earth Soon | Space Documentary