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   From: yourdime@outlook.com   
      
   The sun is beginning to enter a more active time for flares that cause   
   solar storms that can impact the Earth.   
      
   As Earth enters this new phase, experts have been discussing how these   
   solar storms could affect modern advancements on the planet and even lead   
   to what a team from George Mason University called an “internet   
   apocalypse.”   
      
   “The internet has come of age during a time when the sun has been   
   relatively quiet, and now it’s entering a more active time,” Professor   
   Peter Becker of George Mason University told Fox Weather. “It’s the first   
   time in human history that there’s been an intersection of increased solar   
   activity with our dependence on the internet and our global economic   
   dependence on the internet.”   
      
   When was the last solar flare?   
   Solar flares aren’t rare, but they do rarely hit Earth.   
      
   As the sun’s solar cycle begins to hit its peak, more solar storms caused   
   by flares will be likely, according to the National Oceanic and   
   Atmospheric Administration.   
      
   On Aug. 5, a strong solar flare erupted from the sun’s surface but there   
   weren’t any resounding effects, per NASA.   
      
   According to NASA, flares become dangerous when they bypass Earth’s   
   natural defenses, like its magnetic fields, and hit the surface of the   
   planet.   
      
   What happens if a solar flare hits Earth?   
   When solar flares do hit Earth, they can wreak havoc to electronics and   
   communication systems.   
      
   NOAA warns that GPS systems and radio signals can be disturbed by a solar   
   storm.   
      
   What if the 1859 solar storm happened today?   
   The largest solar storm on record is called the Carrington Event from   
   1859, per NASA. During the event, the flare caused geomagnetic chaos as it   
   sparked fires on telegraphs and disrupted the whole communication system   
   of the day.   
      
   “Such technological chaos could cripple economies and endanger the safety   
   and livelihoods of people worldwide,” wrote NASA.   
      
   Could a solar flare wipe out the Internet?   
   Becker told Fox Weather that these stronger storms could have the   
   potential to wipe out the internet unless the technology is “hardened” or   
   if a proper warning is given.   
      
   Will there be a solar storm in 2025?   
   NASA predicts, based on the sun’s 11-year cycle, that a large flare called   
   a “solar maximum” will happen sometime in 2025, which experts are   
   preparing for.   
      
   Can we prepare for a solar flare?   
   New technology such as artificial intelligence has been used and is being   
   developed by NASA to better predict sun flares up to 30 minutes in advance   
   — the system is called DAGGER.   
      
   “With this AI, it is now possible to make rapid and accurate global   
   predictions and inform decisions in the event of a solar storm, thereby   
   minimizing — or even preventing — devastation to modern society,” Vishal   
   Upendran, of the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics in   
   India, told NASA.   
      
   Just like hurricane and tornado warnings, experts may one day develop   
   solar storm sirens to warn of an upcoming event.   
      
   https://www.deseret.com/2023/11/14/23960735/what-is-solar-storm   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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