The sun has not raged like this for twelve years. On Wednesday, September 6, due to the merger of several sunspots, the Sun released a huge amount of energy. This solar wind will be truly destructive.

Scientists from NASA recently predicted a significant decrease in solar activity, because there have been no serious magnetic storms over the past couple of months. Contrary to expectations, on September 6 something unique happened, but quite real event— The sun has gone beyond its “traditions.”

Communication problems

As you know, the solar wind itself does not cause problems, because it simply does not reach us, because the Earth has two magnetic poles that protect us from these bombardments. But every medal has back side. In the case of storms, this side is obvious - the magnetic field is excited, and its waves negatively affect people and equipment.

Speaking of technology: all over the world on September 7 and 8, communication problems are or have been observed. This is quite obvious given the scale of the problem. Most of the explosions or flares on the Sun, fortunately, occurred in a place where it is more difficult for the solar wind to reach the Earth. If you draw an imaginary line from the Sun to the Earth, then the flash was directed slightly to the side. If it were aimed directly at Earth, the problems would be much more dangerous.

Magnetic storm on September 8 and 9

The solar wind travels to Earth for about two or three days. After the flare on September 6, the released energy will reach Earth on the 8th. Even though the flash was not direct, the magnetic storm from it will reach an incredible fourth level. If this outbreak had been directed at us, it would have exceeded the record fifth.

The storm will not only be unpleasant, but destructive. Not only weather-sensitive people, but everyone else can experience headaches. Chronic diseases will worsen in almost one hundred percent of people. According to the first estimates of scientists from America, on September 8 and 9 pharmacies will have huge profits, because the problem will be on a global scale.

On the 8th, the fourth level storm will subside in the evening, reducing its strength to the first level. September 9 will not be a time for relaxation. The Earth's magnetic field will still be excited. We are all lucky that a problem like this comes before the weekend, because in the middle of the week it would lead to serious troubles at work for those who give it their all.

The only way to protect yourself from danger is common sense and caution. Don't drink alcohol or overwork yourself at work. All you will need on September 8 and 9 is peace. Abstract yourself from negative thoughts. They should not torment you during these two days. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

08.09.2017 13:03

Usually, the northern lights can only be observed by residents in the polar zones, but in light of recent events, scientists suggest...

Scientists are noticing alarming news: sunspots are increasingly disappearing on the Sun. This means that solar activity is decreasing. ...

IN Lately More and more information is appearing in various sources about the “end of the world” and possible disasters associated with natural phenomena, as well as man-made disasters. A huge amount of contradictory data confuses unprepared people and leads them to try not to think about this topic at all and ignore everything. However, if you believe folk wisdom, the presence of smoke means that there is a fire burning somewhere, and not paying attention to this would be simple ignorance on our part. Let's consider one of the many phenomena that, according to some assumptions and forecasts, could cause a large-scale catastrophe.

Flashes did not come to people's attention as early as 1859, when they caused problems with telegraph lines. Additionally, this event resulted in the northern lights being visible in Hawaii. As you know, our star exists in certain cycles - for eleven years, solar activity has a minimum value, and after that it increases significantly. Maximum flares are observed just at the peak of activity. At that time Sun emits magnetic and radiation energy, as well as ultraviolet radiation in very large quantities. They reach the Earth in just a few hours. Solar radiation must be stopped by the magnetic field of our planet, which prevents significant damage from being caused to it, but due to its depletion, proper safety cannot be guaranteed.

So what specific consequences can they lead to and is it possible to protect against them? This phenomenon can cause very large geo magnetic storms and complete refusal electrical network. This can lead not only to the inability to use electrical appliances, but also to a global disaster. If something like this happens, it will start with people being able to see a very bright light of great intensity. After this, all transformers and energy systems will stop working. According to experts, in the United States all key transformers will burn out in just 90 seconds, and more than 130 million people will be left without electricity.

At the beginning of the disaster, no one will die, but quite quickly the structures and systems on which the lives of a huge number of people directly depend will begin to collapse. Oil and gas pipelines will stop working, water will not flow to populated areas, gas stations will go out of order. Autonomous energy systems, which are available in some institutions, are designed to operate for three days. According to experts, several million people may die in a year, and their deaths will be associated with indirect causes of the economic shutdown.

But is it worth making such gloomy and hopeless predictions in connection with an event that may not happen? As experts say, such an electromagnetic storm is quite possible, and its manifestation is only a matter of time. According to Professor Daniel Baker, large-scale flares on the Sun can lead to results that are comparable to the fall of a huge asteroid or nuclear war. Even if an event similar to that observed in 1859 occurs, modern people they may not survive it. This is due to the current level of industrial development and the importance of transformers, which take a very long time to replace. As we see, despite all the achievements of modern humanity, in some sense it is now more vulnerable than 150 years ago. The development of various spheres of human activity makes people directly dependent on new inventions and technology, which is constantly being improved. This suggests that every achievement has a downside, and someday it may appear in all its glory.

As we know, not only excessive solar activity is now being actively discussed, but also the possibility of an asteroid falling, melting polar ice, the dangers of the Large Hadron Collider, epidemics, floods and much more. Some even talk about the rise of machines and the invasion of representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations. On the other hand, messages appear in literature and in the press that the time has come for the transformation of humanity, and that in order to survive, people must change spiritually and morally. Most often, such transformations are associated with the possibilities of religions and esoteric movements. Despite the fact that many forecasts are not very optimistic, people are beginning to think about their place in the world and what they need to do in order to survive. Maybe changing enough people could prevent a disaster or make it less destructive. Each of us can only work on ourselves and hope for the best.

For decades now, scientists different countries are trying to figure out how to predict natural phenomena such as solar flares. Their frequency is determined by eleven-year cycles of solar activity. However, the most powerful and unpleasant manifestations of the Sun's activity overtake us, quite suddenly, to this day. This is due to the fact that solar flares can only be predicted by analyzing solar magnetic fields, which are not constant or at least minimally stable.

The influence of solar flares on outer space

Solar flares are considered the most unfavorable for space explorers. Representing the greatest degree of threat in the vastness of outer space, waves of powerful explosive energy may well damage communications satellites, and even spacecraft, completely disabling instruments and control systems. Solar flares, which produce powerful streams of protons, significantly increase the level of radiation, as a result of which people in outer space can easily be exposed to strong radiation. There is some risk of exposure even for airline passengers who fly during certain periods during peak outbreak activity.

Under the Soviet Union, leading experts at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory tried to predict the possibility of solar flares, and if prerequisites for an energy explosion arose, the cosmonauts' flights were necessarily postponed. In 1968, the forecast of Soviet scientists about an upcoming solar flare, which was awarded the most high level danger - three points. Then the Soyuz-3 spacecraft with Georgy Beregov was landed, and three hours later they observed a powerful flare on the Sun, which would have been fatal for a person in space.

The danger of plasma clouds and classification of solar flares

Solar flares can pose a considerable danger to the inhabitants of our planet, even though the Earth is protected from them by the geomagnetic field and the atmospheric ozone layer. Each such outbreak is accompanied by a cloud of a kind of plasma and, reaching the Earth, it is this plasma that causes magnetic storms, which negatively affect almost all living organisms and disable the most powerful communication systems.

After the start of a solar flare, radiation reaches the Earth's surface within an 8-10 minute period, after which powerfully charged particles are sent towards our planet. Further within three days period clouds of plasma reach the Earth. A kind of blast wave collides with our planet and causes magnetic storms. The duration of each outbreak usually does not exceed several minutes, but this time and the power of the energy release are quite enough to influence the condition of the Earth and the well-being of its inhabitants.

Scientists have classified solar flares into five types: A, B, C, M, X. Moreover, A is a flare with a minimum degree of X-ray emission, and each subsequent one is 10 times more intense than the previous one. Class X flares are considered the most powerful and dangerous. Numerous scientists and researchers have noticed that even typhoons, hurricanes and earthquakes most often occur during solar activity. Therefore, forecasts of various natural disasters are often associated with solar flares.

The main types of danger from solar flares

Without exaggerating the level of influence of solar flares on the human body and well-being, we can identify groups of people who are most susceptible to the negative effects of solar system energy explosions.

It has been proven more than once that disasters and accidents are caused by human factor increase quantitatively on days of solar flares. This is due to the fact that during such periods, brain activity is maximally weakened, and concentration is greatly dulled. In addition, for a number of people, magnetic storms are the causative agents of real torment and frustration. There are many such groups:

People with weakened immune systems;
Population suffering from cardiovascular diseases, migraines, surges (drops) in blood pressure;
People with chronic diseases that worsen during each solar energy outbreak and subsequent magnetic storm;
Population subject to periodic manifestations of insomnia, loss of appetite, restless sleep;
Mentally unbalanced individuals.

There are some opinions, repeatedly confirmed in practice, that during magnetic storms many people begin to be bothered by old wounds, scars, damaged bones or sore joints. Also, a separate group includes those representatives who have a so-called delayed reaction to magnetic storms. These are people experiencing Negative consequences a few days after solar flares.

Many experts advise periodic medical examinations to identify chronic diseases. Since it is precisely this kind of disease that is significantly aggravated during solar flares, it will be possible, if not to prevent the upcoming illness and deterioration of health, then at least to have effective medicines at hand.

How scientists try to predict solar flares

Considering the degree of influence and danger from solar flares, work and attempts to find the most accurate methods for predicting this phenomenon do not stop. For quite a long time, scientists and weather forecasters considered two ways to solve the problem:

Casual - based on predicting the next outbreak by modeling it, for which the physical mechanisms of the outbreak are carefully studied.

Synoptic is a method that involves the study and analysis of the prerequisites and behavior of the Sun before each flare that occurs.

The fact remains undeniable that the coronal origin of solar flares and their magnetic nature are directly related. This means that for a better development of forecasting, it will most likely be necessary to link both methods together.

In the first half of Wednesday, September 6, 2017, scientists recorded the most powerful solar flare in the last 12 years. The flash is assigned a score of X9.3 - the letter means it belongs to the class of extremely large flashes, and the number indicates the strength of the flash. The release of billions of tons of matter occurred almost in the region of AR 2673, almost in the center of the solar disk, so earthlings did not escape the consequences of what happened. The second powerful flare (magnitude X1.3) was recorded on the evening of Thursday, September 7, the third - today, Friday, September 8.

The sun releases enormous energy into space

Solar flares, depending on the power of X-ray radiation, are divided into five classes: A, B, C, M and X. The minimum class A0.0 corresponds to a radiation power in Earth's orbit of ten nanowatts per square meter, the next letter means a tenfold increase in power. During the most powerful flares of which the Sun is capable, enormous energy is released into the surrounding space, in a few minutes - about a hundred billion megatons of TNT equivalent. This is about a fifth of the energy emitted by the Sun in one second, and all the energy that humanity would produce in a million years (assuming it was produced at current rates).

Powerful geomagnetic storm expected

X-ray radiation reaches the planet in eight minutes, heavy particles in several hours, and plasma clouds in two to three days. The coronal ejection from the first flare has already reached the Earth, the planet collided with a cloud of solar plasma with a diameter of about one hundred million kilometers, although it was previously predicted that this would happen by the evening of Friday, September 8. The geomagnetic storm of level G3-G4 (a five-point scale ranging from weak G1 to extremely strong G5), triggered by the first flare, should end on Friday evening. Coronal ejections from the second and third solar flares have not yet reached Earth, possible consequences should be expected at the end of this week - beginning of next week.

The consequences of the outbreak have long been clear

Geophysicists predict aurora in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, cities located at relatively low latitudes for the aurora. It has already been spotted in the US state of Arkansas. As recently as Thursday, operators in the US and Europe reported non-critical communication outages. The level of X-ray radiation in low-Earth orbit has increased slightly; the military clarifies that there is no direct threat to satellites and ground systems, as well as the crew of the ISS.

Image: NASA/GSFC

There is still a risk for low-orbit and geostationary satellites. The former risk failure due to braking on the heated atmosphere, and the latter, having moved 36 thousand kilometers from the Earth, may collide with a cloud of solar plasma. There may be interruptions in radio communications, but a final assessment of the consequences of the outbreak must wait until at least the end of the week. The deterioration of people's well-being due to changes in the geomagnetic environment has not been scientifically proven.

Possible increase in solar activity

The last time such an outbreak was observed was on September 7, 2005, but the strongest (with a score of X28) occurred even earlier (November 4, 2003). In particular, on October 28, 2003, one of the high-voltage transformers in the Swedish city of Malmo failed, cutting off power to the entire populated area for an hour. Other countries were also affected by the storm. A few days before the events of September 2005, a less powerful flare was recorded, and scientists believed that the Sun would calm down. What's happening in last days, strongly resembles that situation. This behavior of the star means that the 2005 record may still be broken in the near future.

Image: NASA/GSFC

However, over the past three centuries, humanity has experienced even more powerful solar flares than those that occurred in 2003 and 2005. In early September 1859, a geomagnetic storm caused the telegraph systems of Europe and North America to fail. The cause was said to be a powerful coronal mass ejection that reached the planet in 18 hours and was observed on September 1 by British astronomer Richard Carrington. There are also studies questioning the effects of the solar flare of 1859, scientists that the magnetic storm affected only local areas of the planet.

Solar flares are difficult to quantify

A consistent theory describing the formation of solar flares does not yet exist. Flares occur, as a rule, in places where sunspots interact on the border of regions of northern and southern magnetic polarity. This leads to the rapid release of energy from the magnetic and electric fields, which is then used to heat the plasma (increasing the speed of its ions).

The observed spots are areas of the Sun's surface with a temperature approximately two thousand degrees Celsius lower than the temperature of the surrounding photosphere (approximately 5.5 thousand degrees Celsius). In the darkest areas of the spot there are lines magnetic field perpendicular to the surface of the Sun, on lighter ones they are closer to the tangent. The magnetic field strength of such objects exceeds its terrestrial value thousands of times, and the flares themselves are associated with a sharp change in the local geometry of the magnetic field.

The solar flare occurred against the background of minimum solar activity. This is probably how the star sheds energy and will soon calm down. Similar events occurred earlier in the history of the star and the planet. The fact that this is attracting public attention today speaks not of a sudden threat to humanity, but of scientific progress - despite everything, scientists are gradually better understanding the processes occurring with the star, and reporting this to taxpayers.

Where to monitor the situation

Information about solar activity can be obtained from many sources. In Russia, for example, from the websites of two institutes Russian Academy sciences: and (the first, at the time of writing, posted a direct warning about the danger to satellites due to a solar flare, the second contains a convenient graph of flare activity), which use data from American and European services. Interactive data on solar activity, as well as an assessment of the current and future geomagnetic situation can be found on the website