Huge solar flare heading toward Earth; power disruptions, satellite problems are poss

[jackphillips]

This should be interesting... I wonder if any problems with the cars?? Doubt it..
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...m_heading.html

[BlackVolt]

Who knows. If it happens, it happens. Not much you can do except for sit back and enjoy the show. If it cripples the social networks and media I don't care. Society is too far out of touch with each other because the values are not there anymore and maybe something like this might bring people closer.

[Jim Fallston Md.]

I am on sattelite internet at work and it seems like the peak disruption period was yesterday. I stream music from radio stations at work and all of the links yesterday were going in and out all day long. Today they appear to be working fine.

[bonaire]

The Amish families near my house just shrug

It's rare that flares do much other than make the polar lights but a direct hit of a large X-class flare is something that has been known to trigger grid shutdowns in the past.

Interesting: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/tag/carrington-event/

[swapdmyvette4this]

I think its targeting the republicans

[Henry_FL]

[AZ EV Driver]

This should be interesting... I wonder if any problems with the cars?? Doubt it..
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...m_heading.html

Considering that the auto companies have been testing for this type of "noise" since they started using electronic control systems roughly 30 years ago, I strongly share your doubt.

But I do have a tinfoil hat on my hat rack - just in case.

VIN # B0985

[tboult]

This should be interesting... I wonder if any problems with the cars?? Doubt it..
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/201...m_heading.html

While the charged particles can make pretty lights (I'm hoping.. I'll be up looking tonight), and can impact lots of systems, I am not the least worried about my Volt. The car's metallic skin provides shielding to its core systems. The particles can play more havoc on the ESVE as they stream into the power distribution system (which is generally not shielded) they could cause voltage variations greater than those normally allowed by the power company. Could be some charge interruptions, but ehe ESVE should just shut down. Worst i expect is I might not get a full charge.. but then against a Volt so I'll still outrun the zombies..

[jackphillips]

Hey I am a Repubican!!!!

There are middle of teh road people on both sides... Whay does everything on this list have to do with politics?

[Raymondjram]

While the charged particles can make pretty lights (I'm hoping.. I'll be up looking tonight), and can impact lots of systems, I am not the least worried about my Volt. The car's metallic skin provides shielding to its core systems. The particles can play more havoc on the ESVE as they stream into the power distribution system (which is generally not shielded) they could cause voltage variations greater than those normally allowed by the power company. Could be some charge interruptions, but ehe ESVE should just shut down. Worst i expect is I might not get a full charge.. but then against a Volt so I'll still outrun the zombies..

You are correct. GM builds its vehicles to be shielded against external interference, except for the radios. So the worst that can happen in a solar storm is the loss of all radio signals, including GPS, OnStar, and cellphone service. You will continue to drive your Volt, but you cannot communicate electronically with anything outside the vehicle. So you will be travelling silently unless you have your stored music playing. The shielding will also allow regular ICE vehicles to continue operating the ignition systems, so the range extender will run (no "range anxiety").

I do worry about the astronauts and cosmonauts up in the ISS. Their shielding is weak due to the lack of the atmosphere and the ionosphere that protect us down here. Their only escape is an attached Soyuz capsule that they can activate in an hour, and the return trip is another hour. So they need at least a two hour warning to save themselves if a solar storm approaches. Thanks to NASA and its solar satellites, we can get almost a day's warning.

Isn't technology wonderful?