- AFTER 10 years of comparative slumber, the sun is waking up - and it's got astronomers on full alert.
This week several US media outlets reported that NASA was warning the massive flare that caused spectacular light shows on Earth earlier this month was just a precursor to a massive solar storm building that had the potential to wipe out the entire planet's power grid. Full story:
* LiveScience (29 July 2010): Antarctica Experiment Discovers Puzzling Space Ray Pattern...National Geographic (November 19, 2008): "High-energy electrons captured over Antarctica could reveal the presence of a nearby but MYSTERIOUS ASTROPHYSICAL OBJECT that's bombarding Earth with cosmic rays, researchers say"... Final Mercury Flyby Reveals Huge Magnetic "Power Surges"...Scientists baffled by unusual upper atmosphere shrinkage... As the Sun Awakens, NASA Keeps a Wary Eye on Space Weather... Scientists: solar activity could hit London 2012 Olympic Games... Something has exploded on the farside of the sun... Dr. Michio Kaku Warns of 2012 Solar Storm... Live Science about 2012, Solar Storm and NASA... NASA: Sun's Nemesis Pelted Earth with Comets, Study Suggests... 'Blocked' jetstream to blame for freak weather in Russia and Pakistan, say scientists:
