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2023-11-18 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Solar flare feared to fry satellites, causing months-long 'internet apocalypse'

[GEO.TV] A solar superstorm, marked by a coronal mass ejection (CME), poses a significant threat to internet stability, potentially disrupting the system for weeks or even months.

The awe-inspiring Northern Lights might be a precursor to what Professor Peter Becker of George Mason University terms an "internet apocalypse," a potential consequence of intensified solar activity.

Wait — does that mean we won’t have Rantburg???? Fred, badanov — is this a serious concern?

Affecting the "last Mile" so to speak for internet connections and internal networks. The remainder, the server space is wired, potentially affected only by EMPs.
From Becker’s perspective, a new era of solar storms could threaten vital global technologies, including the internet, which the modern world heavily relies on. According to Fox Weather, Becker’s team aims to create a warning system to alert people of solar dangers.

The US Navy has responded proactively, allocating a substantial $13.6 million grant for a collaborative initiative with the university to establish an early warning system. The economic consequences of such a disruption could reach up to $20 billion per day in the United States alone.

CMEs can disturb the Earth's magnetic field, leading to the flow of electrical currents through the ground, capable of damaging electronics, power grids, and satellites.

While the last major CME impact was in 1859, damaging the telegraph system, the current technological landscape is far more susceptible. With the heightened solar activity forecasted in the coming decade, scientists are intensifying efforts to predict and protect against CMEs.

The fragility of modern electronics raises concerns, prompting research into ways to harden the internet system, ensuring greater resilience against potential damage.

Posted by Fred 2023-11-18 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11128 views ] Top

#1 Spaceweather.com has a weekend geomagnetic storm watch with a CME expected to hit Earth “probably on November 19. The impact could spark minor G1 class geomagnetic storms on the 19th and 20th.” They class G1 storms as “minor” - weak power grid fluctuations can occur. Minor impact on satellite operations possible.

Posted by Ululating Platypus 2023-11-18 00:31|| 2023-11-18 00:31|| Front Page Top

#2 If anything, you may see a slowing of traffic but I doubt this is that flare

Posted by newc 2023-11-18 00:52|| 2023-11-18 00:52|| Front Page Top

#3 This solar eruption was so powerful it warped the sun's magnetic field (video)

Posted by Skidmark 2023-11-18 03:51|| 2023-11-18 03:51|| Front Page Top

#4 Checked Space Weather Live it currently states "Currently there's no noteworthy space weather" and also shows there were M 1.26 rated strong (not Major) Flares 24 and 72 hrs ago.

The Earth is currently seeing a C2.49 Solar Small Flare as of 6:58am (EDST)

With that said I have noted a number of internet sites reporting connectivity & data center troubles depending on their GEO locations?

Posted by NN2N1 2023-11-18 07:03|| 2023-11-18 07:03|| Front Page Top

#5 With that said ... my network lost Internet for 73 minutes right after posting the above comment.

It seems the alternative NO-Track DNS server I was using crashed or hung itself. So I am temporarily using Xfinity's DNS which tracks and records connections.

Posted by NN2N1 2023-11-18 09:30|| 2023-11-18 09:30|| Front Page Top

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