Was there a solar maximum in 2012?

Was there a solar maximum in 2012?

The source of the CME was giant sunspot AR1520, a seething nest of tangled magnetism more than 15 times wider than Earth itself. On July 12, 2012, the sunspot’s magnetic field erupted, producing an X-class solar flare and hurling a billion tons of electrified plasma toward our planet.

How do you prepare for a solar storm?

1. Step 1: Prepare Ahead of Time. The main threat you’ll have to face during a solar storm is a blackout.
2. Step 2: Save Your Food. Grocery stores may run out of food with the disruption of supply chains.
3. Step 3: Secure Your House.
4. Step 4: Don’t Travel.
5. Step 5: Get Some Cash.

What if the solar storm of 2012 hit Earth?

Had the CME hit the Earth, it is likely that it would have inflicted serious damage to electronic systems on a global scale. A 2013 study estimated that the economic cost to the United States would have been between US$600 billion and $2.6 trillion.

What happened to the sun in 2012?

The solar storm of 2012 was an unusually large and strong coronal mass ejection (CME) event that occurred on July 23 that year. It missed Earth with a margin of approximately nine days, as the equator of the Sun rotates around its own axis with a period of about 25 days.

When was the solar storm in July 2012?

Their paper, entitled “A major solar eruptive event in July 2012,” describes how a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) tore through Earth orbit on July 23, 2012. Fortunately Earth wasn’t there. Instead, the storm cloud hit the STEREO-A spacecraft.

What was the effect of the solar superstorm in July 2012?

Analysts believe that a direct hit by an extreme CME such as the one that missed Earth in July 2012 could cause widespread power blackouts, disabling everything that plugs into a wall socket. Most people wouldn’t even be able to flush their toilet because urban water supplies largely rely on electric pumps.

How long did the solar storm Miss Earth?

It missed Earth with a margin of approximately nine days, as the equator of the Sun rotates around its own axis with a period of about 25 days. The region that produced the outburst was thus not pointed directly towards Earth at that time.

What was the largest solar storm in history?

It would probably take out a few satellites in Earth orbit, too. Prior to the July 2012 storm, the largest recorded storm was the Carrington Event of 1859. A massive solar flare and CME struck Earth, destroying much of the Victorian telegraph network in Europe and North America.