The Sun is the centerpiece in a spiral arm of the Milky Way, which is the location of eight (or nine, depending on how you view Pluto) planets, including the Earth. Old Sol is about halfway through its estimated 10 billion year lifespan.
Even from a distance of about 93 million miles, the Sun is almost unimaginable by virtually every aspect of conventional terrestrial measurements. You could fit about 108 Earths within its diameter. The heat generated is mind-boggling on any Earthly scale. The visible layer, called the photosphere, has an average temperature of 11,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes a million years for energy created in the Sun's core to reach the surface. Five million tons of energy is released every second.
The Sun Powers Life on Earth
In cosmic terms, it's considered an ordinary star, just one of more than 100 billion in our home galaxy. The Sun, which possesses over 99% of the mass in our solar system provides the energy that fuels life on Earth via photosynthesis and drives the climate and weather on the primarily water covered rock we call home.
The majority of solar energy emitted is in the form of visible light. It takes approximately eight minutes for sunlight to reach the Earth. There is also a great deal of infrared energy generated that we experience as heat. Our planet is perfectly situated in an orbit that keeps us from being too hot, like Venus or too cold like Mars.
Serious Solar Disruptions Expected in 2012
The negative aspect of our place in space is that the Earth is highly vulnerable to the cyclical eruptions of solar flares that spew even larger amounts of energy into the solar system; equivalent to tens of millions of atomic bombs exploding at the same time. According to the Space.com article "All About Solar Flares", solar flares produce electromagnetic radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths from long-wave radio to the shortest wavelength Gamma rays (Accessed March 2010).
Solar flares cannot typically be detected by the naked eye from the surface of the Earth. Radiation can reach our planet in moments with little warning. However, Earth and space based observations can detect sunspots - dark areas on the Sun's surface that mark extraordinary amounts of magnetic activity from within the ordinary star.
Solar flare activity fluctuates on a roughly 11 year cycle. A quiet phase is coming to an end and an active period known as solar maximum is forecast to begin sometime in 2012. This energy is especially destructive to the electrical systems that power modern life here on Earth. The most obvious manifestation is the disruption of broadcast or satellite radio and television signals.
The more significant consequences for our electrically charged, technology dependent way of life could be devastating within two years. Orbiting satellites as well as the International Space Station, electrical grids and anything that involves the electromagnetic spectrum could be damaged or destroyed; affecting every aspect of modern life as we know it.
A Scientific Forecast of Severe Solar Activity
A NASA funded "Severe Space Weather Events-Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts" report authored by Dr. Tony Phillips and issued by the National Academy of Sciences states that "A severe space weather event could induce ground currents that would knock out 300 key U.S. transformers within about 90 seconds, cutting off the power for more than 130 million people" (January 21, 2009, Accessed March 2010). The economic impact of such an event could be in the trillions of dollars in the United States alone. Cultural and economic recovery from a significant solar flare could take as long as a decade.
While no one in the scientific community is forecasting "the end of days" currently popular in some media circles, they are sounding a warning regarding the dark side of the sun beginning in 2012.
Anthony Tolliver - Tony Tolliver spent over 30 years working at commercial radio stations in the Midwest. He's a life-long information junkie who found his ...
