OT: The Sun's Doing Some Messed Up Stuff

[CamEdwards]

From New Scientist

The Sun is more active now than it has been for a millennium. The realisation, which comes from a reconstruction of sunspots stretching back 1150 years, comes just as the Sun has thrown a tantrum. Over the last week, giant plumes of have material burst out from our star's surface and streamed into space, causing geomagnetic storms on Earth.

The dark patches on the surface of the Sun that we call sunspots are a symptom of fierce magnetic activity inside. Ilya Usoskin, a geophysicist who worked with colleagues from the University of Oulu in Finland and the Max Planck Institute for Aeronomy in Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, has found that there have been more sunspots since the 1940s than for the past 1150 years.

Sunspot observations stretch back to the early 17th century, when the telescope was invented. To extend the data farther back in time, Usoskin's team used a physical model to calculate past sunspot numbers from levels of a radioactive isotope preserved in ice cores taken from Greenland and Antarctica.

Ice cores provide a record of the concentration of beryllium-10 in the atmosphere. This is produced when high-energy particles from space bombard the atmosphere, but when the Sun is active its magnetic field protects the Earth from these particles and levels of beryllium-10 are lower.

There was already tantalising evidence that beryllium-10 is scarcer now than for a very long time, says Mike Lockwood, from the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford.

But he told New Scientist that when he saw the data converted to sunspot numbers he thought, "why the hell didn't I do this?" It makes the conclusion very stark, he says. "We are living with a very unusual sun at the moment."

The findings may stoke the controversy over the contribution of the Sun to global warming. Usoskin and his team are reluctant to be dragged into the debate, but their work will probably be seized upon by those who claim that temperature rises over the past century are the result of changes in the Sun's output (New Scientist, print edition, 12 April 2003). The link between the Sun's magnetic activity and the Earth's climate is, however, unclear.

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Since I am an absolute ignoramus when it comes to science, someone please reassure me that the sun is not going to suddenly do some Earth-killing thing in the next say... 100 years or so.

Thanks.

[sabotai]

"Since I am an absolute ignoramus when it comes to science, someone please reassure me that the sun is not going to suddenly do some Earth-killing thing in the next say... 100 years or so. "

The sun is not going to suddenly do some Earth-killing thing anytime soon...

Or is that what they want you to beleive? Mwahaha

[Craptacular]

Of course, it's been cloudy and/or rainy for the last week here, so I haven't been able to see any of the Northern Lights.

[korme]

If it is in 100 years, who cares.

[Eaglesfan27]

I care for my potential grandchildren and great grandchildren

[mckerney]

Originally posted by Shorty3281
If it is in 100 years, who cares.

"I believe in saving the world for my children, but not my children's children because I don't believe kids should be having sex."

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by CamEdwards
Since I am an absolute ignoramus when it comes to science, someone please reassure me that the sun is not going to suddenly do some Earth-killing thing in the next say... 100 years or so.

Thanks.

Nah, take a load off. The earth is fine. I suppose there's a chance you should worry about *the people* (yourself, if no one else) on earth, however. We're all going to get killed by massive waves of radiation and slowly burn to a crisp like people in a microwave. Ok, maybe not.

This reminded me of one of my favorite arguments made by people who say there's no reason to worry about global warming: "This has happened before in the earth's history and it's just a cycle- let it happen". Well, yes, but we weren't on the planet, particularly those coastal cities, so the people in New Orleans, Houston, New York, Charleston, etc. might want to worry.

SI

[sabotai]

Originally posted by mckerney
"I believe in saving the world for my children, but not my children's children because I don't believe kids should be having sex."

I've heard that before, but can't remember where it's from. SNL's Jack Handy?

[JeeberD]

Jack Handey went to UTEP...

[CamEdwards]

And the flares just keep on coming.

The Sun cut loose with three severe flares in less than 24 hours through Monday morning, bringing to nine the number of major eruptions in less than two weeks.

Scientists have never witnessed a string of activity like this.

Colorful aurora are expected to grace the skies at high latitudes and possibly into lower portions of the United States and Europe over the next two or three nights. Satellites and power grids could once again be put at risk.

Early Monday, Paal Brekke, deputy project manager of the SOHO spacecraft, was still digesting the significance of the three additional outbursts on top of two back-to-back monster flares Oct. 28 and 29.

A space storm can only achieve full potential if its magnetic field is oriented south, opposite to that of Earth's protective magnetosphere which always points north.

"I think the last week will go into the history books as one of the most dramatic periods of solar activity we have seen in modern time," Brekke told SPACE.com.

None of the latest eruptions was aimed directly at Earth, but glancing blows are expected.

The flares this week began with an X8 event at 12:25 p.m. ET Sunday. On this scale, all X-storms are severe, and the number indicates the degree of severity. An X3 flare erupted at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Reports of the third flare are preliminary. It left the Sun at 4:55 a.m. Monday and is estimated to be an X4. The trio of outbursts comes within a week of the unprecedented, back-to-back severe flares rated X17 and X10.

The first four flares in this long, amazing series date back to Oct. 22 and were ranked less than X2.

All flares of this magnitude are capable of disrupting communications systems and power grids and harming satellites. Two Japanese satellite failures and a power outage in Sweden were blamed on the first six storms.

The new flares were accompanied by coronal mass ejections of charged particles that take anywhere from 18 hours to two or three days to reach Earth. These CMEs represent the brunt of the storm unleashed by a flare.

A storm's precise strength, however, cannot be known until about 30 minutes before it strikes and depends on the orientation of its magnetic field. If that field is southward -- opposite the direction of Earth's north-pointing magnetic field -- then the potential is greatest for accelerating the local particles that can then damage satellites and fuel aurora.
More aurora

Scientists said the eruptions will generate increased auroras, the colorful Northern and Southern Lights excited by fast-moving particles, beginning midday Monday and into Tuesday and beyond. The lights shine because particles excite gas molecules in the atmosphere.

The chance of severe geomagnetic storming -- the root of auroras -- at middle latitudes is 30 percent Monday and 50 percent Tuesday, according to NOAA's Space Environment Center. The precise extent of the aurora at any moment can't be predicted, but it can be seen in real time with SPACE.com's Aurora Cam.

The fist flare Sunday was generated by Sunspot 486, which was the site of last week's major storms. The one late Sunday came from Sunspot 488, which is huge but has not been a major player until now. Monday's flare also leapt from Sunspot 488.

Both sunspots are about to rotate off the right side of the Sun's face, so their associated CMEs were not aimed squarely at Earth. However, these clouds of hot gas expand as they race into space at up to 5 million mph, so at least some effect at Earth is predicted.

Sunspots are dark, cooler regions of the solar surface. They are areas of pent-up magnetic activity, caps on upwelling matter and energy that can blow at any moment.

No scientist can recall nine X-class flares ever occurring in a 12-day period. More major flares are possible this week, forecasters said.

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Can't we send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck to the sun to take care of the problem?

[Senator]

Perhaps the sun is just pissed off about his 24 hours shifts and is considering going union. That would explain his silly behavior.

[Senator]

Dola:

reminds me of a wise saying that I once heard.

A day without sunshine is like .......... night.

[Senator]

Ah, yes. The precious 6am CST double dola. Excellent.

"Can't we send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck to the sun to take care of the problem?"

Which begs the question. And if not, can we still send Ben Affleck?

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Senator
Ah, yes. The precious 6am CST double dola. Excellent.

"Can't we send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck to the sun to take care of the problem?"

Which begs the question. And if not, can we still send Ben Affleck?

Makes me think of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episode where Homer and Bart end up on the rocket going into the sun with Dan Quayle, Courtney Love, Tonya Harding, Al Sharpton, Tom Arnold, and Pauly Shore.

SI

[Butter]

Cam, any change in the Sun's "vital functions" (it's production of hydrogen and helium) would occur over many thousands of years, and would cause slow, but very noticeable climate changes (like melting Antarctica for one). We've got a long while before we really have to worry about the sun blowing up. It's much, much too big to have a cataclysmic event occur without any pre-warning signs.

Read the middle of this page to see more about how the sun will meet its end.

[sterlingice]

Yeah, last I checked, the sun still has about 4 billion years on its ticker so we don't have to worry about it blowing up just yet. Maybe your children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children's children or something or other.

SI

[Dutch]

Well if the sun explodes or something, I'll bet the Euro's blame it on us...

[mckerney]

I don't think Cam was looking for an indepth explaination, more just a, "No Cam, the Sun is not going to explode. Now, it's nap time, so go get your rug and find a place on the floor. And remember, you are not allowed to be anywhere near Susie during nap time anymore!"

[tucker342]

Originally posted by Senator
Perhaps the sun is just pissed off about his 24 hours shifts and is considering going union. That would explain his silly behavior.

Well wouldn't you if you were working 24 hrs a day with no salary?

[Tasan]

Pass the sun some Tums or Rolaids...

[BishopMVP]

According to http://www.spaceweather.com there was another that could be the biggest ever recorded. I hope it is clear out so I can see some auroras.

[CamEdwards]

and mckerney had made me feel so much better... not to mention what Susie did for me.

[Airhog]

How come when I post about sunspots its just dismissed. but when some news guy posts it, everybody just has to get in on the thread. I dislike you cam, I dislike you and your shiny head

[sterlingice]

Originally posted by Airhog
How come when I post about sunspots its just dismissed. but when some news guy posts it, everybody just has to get in on the thread. I dislike you cam, I dislike you and your shiny head

Well, face it, Airhog: it's just more fun to post in a thread making fun of Cam and his shiny, shiny head. You can get facts anywhere

SI

[CamEdwards]

Originally posted by Airhog
How come when I post about sunspots its just dismissed. but when some news guy posts it, everybody just has to get in on the thread. I dislike you cam, I dislike you and your shiny head

Love me. Love me and my shiny head. I need your approval and acceptance.

Actually, I think it was because I expressed my fear of the sun's explosion that generated the response. It's really just an excuse for people to tease me.

[Senator]

Don't feel alone. This is no lie. My nightmare last night was the impending explosion of the sun. Scientist had calculated how long we had before we would be absorbed, and it wasn't long. The rest of the dream was waiting for it to happen and the anxiety it produced.

Thanks for bringing this up Cam, you bastard.

[Butter]

Originally posted by mckerney
I don't think Cam was looking for an indepth explaination...

Maybe, but how many chances do I get to let my science-y nerdiness show through?

I took it.

[Airhog]

Originally posted by CamEdwards


Love me. Love me and my shiny head. I need your approval and acceptance.

Is that the kind of love between a man and his dog? or the kind of love between a man, a friends wife, and a goat?

[heybrad]

Maybe the sun is just protesting the new hideous Phoenix Suns uniforms.

[mckerney]

Originally posted by sabotai
I've heard that before, but can't remember where it's from. SNL's Jack Handy?

Yes, it is Jack Handy.

[Glengoyne]

Originally posted by Eaglesfan27
I care for my potential grandchildren and great grandchildren

I figure that by the time anything happens to the sun, I will be so distant an ancestor that my decendants will have forgotten me. SO fuckem!