solar flare

Hey everyone, Have been reading lately that scientists are predicting a possible crippling solar flare this year(2012).from what I am gathering a solar flare of a large magnitude will send an Electronic magnetic field(EMF)capable of frying all electronics on the planet, including pacemakers. Anyone have any reliable information on this. It seems to be very troubling to me. I know If I ask biotronik they will likely downplay the whole thing. Thanks John G.

1 Comments

Don't bet your mortgage money on it!

by donr - 2012-02-02 09:02:43

We have been having solar flares since creation. Granted, we have not had the current reliance on electronics since creation.

Electric Frank commented on this in a prior post by someone else concerned about the problem. I do not have the same expertise he has, but can assure you that while we may have some problems w/ satellite navigation aids & communications capability, it would take one HUMONGOUS flare to "Fry electronics."

You may be confusing an EMF w/ an EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse) a characteristic of some nuclear weapon explosions. Yes, an EMP can truly "Fry" electrical/electronic systems, but that is an infinitely stronger field than that from Old Sol & its flares.

To give you an idea of the strength of field required to "Fry electronics," I once witnessed a lightning bolt strike a tree next to a house and induce such strong electrical currents in a wire in the house that it caused a fire. A lightning bolt generates an EMF around it. It is amazingly intense because the electrical current in the bolt is extremely high - thousands of amperes. The intensity is also destructive because it is a short duration - like an EMP. It can wreak havoc like you are concerned about - but only over relatively short distances. I do not believe Old Sol can generate such a strong field at a distance of 93 million miles.

One other facet to solar flares. The flare itself is not an EMF, but a flare of ions from the matter in the Sun. The EMF generated by the flare will get here at the same time light from that Sun does - since they are the same phenomena - & travel at the speed of light. The ions travel at speeds of physical objects & arrive much later - witness the Aurora Borealis effect that occurs some time AFTER the solar flare occurs. That is caused by the ions entering our Earth's magnetic field & doing beautiful things. On a cold, clear, winter night in Kansas, Dorothy (wearing her ruby slippers, of course), Toto & I were out in a field & witnessed a magnificent display of Aurora. That was extremely unusual.

So, let not your heart be troubled by this - literally.

Don

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