March 25, 2023
Signs
Timothy Birdnow
So, last week we were hit by a large coronal mass ejection (CME) as the Sun flared and spat at us. We were lucky; it could have been far worse.
Such a flare/CME occurred in 1859 and took out the world's electronics. Fortunately those electronics amounted to telegraphs only, so damage was minimal; burned telegraph offices and blown out cables and whatnot. If the Carrington Event https://www.space.com/the-carrington-event (named for Richard Carrington, an astronomer who observed the Sun going bananas before disgorging it's stomach contents all over us) happened today our entire civilization would collapse. It would generate a powerful Compton Effect in the Earth's atmosphere, an electromagnetic pulse would result that would knock all of our electronics out. Civilization would fall - and most of us would die.
That is what we dodged. The CME that occurred was on the other side of the Sun and so did nowhere near the damage it would have had it been facing us.
But we aren't out of the woods yet. A Near Earth Asteroid is going to pass the Earth inside the Moon's orbit.
Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will come withing 100,000 miles of the Earth. The 160 ft. long rock would not pose an existential threat to our civilization but it could take out a city were it to hit - or perhaps worse airburst.
This rock is moving at 17,403 MPH and is between 130 and 230 feet wide (40 to 70 meters). It will only be in the atmosphere for under five seconds. It might break apart in an air burst but that has it's own problems.The Tunguska meteorite air burst too and took out a thousand miles of trees. It was 150 to 200 feet, so comparable in size.
A hundred thousand miles is a long way, but if it should hit some previously unknown space debris before it gets here it could wind up ruining a few picnics. (If it is going to hit I hope it falls on D.C., not that I'm wishing that on anybody mind you.)
At any rate this rock reminds us that there is all manner of junk out there and we have no way at all to protect ourselves. At this point literally none.
And while this asteroid would not be a planet killer some HAVE been and we will be hit eventually by one. It is likely that the dinosaurs died out from a big one that hit the Gulf of Mexico off Yucatan.
The Heavens seem to be warning Mankind. Sadly we do not seem to be listening.
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves"
Hat tip: Mike.
So, last week we were hit by a large coronal mass ejection (CME) as the Sun flared and spat at us. We were lucky; it could have been far worse.
Such a flare/CME occurred in 1859 and took out the world's electronics. Fortunately those electronics amounted to telegraphs only, so damage was minimal; burned telegraph offices and blown out cables and whatnot. If the Carrington Event https://www.space.com/the-carrington-event (named for Richard Carrington, an astronomer who observed the Sun going bananas before disgorging it's stomach contents all over us) happened today our entire civilization would collapse. It would generate a powerful Compton Effect in the Earth's atmosphere, an electromagnetic pulse would result that would knock all of our electronics out. Civilization would fall - and most of us would die.
That is what we dodged. The CME that occurred was on the other side of the Sun and so did nowhere near the damage it would have had it been facing us.
But we aren't out of the woods yet. A Near Earth Asteroid is going to pass the Earth inside the Moon's orbit.
Asteroid 2023 DZ2 will come withing 100,000 miles of the Earth. The 160 ft. long rock would not pose an existential threat to our civilization but it could take out a city were it to hit - or perhaps worse airburst.
This rock is moving at 17,403 MPH and is between 130 and 230 feet wide (40 to 70 meters). It will only be in the atmosphere for under five seconds. It might break apart in an air burst but that has it's own problems.The Tunguska meteorite air burst too and took out a thousand miles of trees. It was 150 to 200 feet, so comparable in size.
A hundred thousand miles is a long way, but if it should hit some previously unknown space debris before it gets here it could wind up ruining a few picnics. (If it is going to hit I hope it falls on D.C., not that I'm wishing that on anybody mind you.)
At any rate this rock reminds us that there is all manner of junk out there and we have no way at all to protect ourselves. At this point literally none.
And while this asteroid would not be a planet killer some HAVE been and we will be hit eventually by one. It is likely that the dinosaurs died out from a big one that hit the Gulf of Mexico off Yucatan.
The Heavens seem to be warning Mankind. Sadly we do not seem to be listening.
"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves"
Hat tip: Mike.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
11:16 AM
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1
From what I got out of it is that scientist have been expecting this to happen which says these events like most things in the cycle of life and death are predictable give take a hundred or so years. And yet the govts of the world ignore this at the peril of 95%of earths population,unless the plan is mass reduction of excess population. And hardly a peep out of any them about what might have happened if the event was facing the earth.
But the good news is they have a plan to blowup space rocks. Dont you feel loved?
But the good news is they have a plan to blowup space rocks. Dont you feel loved?
Posted by: Mike at March 25, 2023 04:47 PM (JNsk5)
2
Somehow I draw little comfort from any of that Mike!
Anything comparable could wipe us out, or at least a sizable number of us.
Yeah; I don't think they'd shed a tear. It's what they've always wanted.
Anything comparable could wipe us out, or at least a sizable number of us.
Yeah; I don't think they'd shed a tear. It's what they've always wanted.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at March 26, 2023 07:34 AM (2zUnO)
3
So, last week we were hit by a large coronal mass ejection (CME) as the Sun flared and spat at us. We were lucky; it could have been far worse.
Posted by: Replica Watches at May 12, 2023 11:25 PM (SUYyh)
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