Yes, it's 2012. No, December 21st hasn't quite come yet. But we may not have to wait to view a possible foreshadowing of what may come this December. Last Sunday night (March 4), the sun erupted with a level 2-3 solar flare headed toward the earth. Solar flares are short outbursts of energy that result from inconsistent magnetic properties of the molecules that are associated in nuclear fusion of the sun. They release large amounts of energy and many highly accelerated particles, that can pose a problem to systems if the energy bursts reach the earths atmosphere. For example, if your GPS wasn't working this past Sunday, you now know who to blame. The intensity of the Sunday storm was the highest recorded solar flare (on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most intense) since 2005. However, four days later, Thursday morning, a solar flare will glance of the side of the earth with an intensity level of a 5. This solar flare may disrupt GPS systems, our power grids, radio communications, and any satellites near its path. Though this solar flare will not hit the earth directly, there is a possibility that in the future, a solar flare will be released that will have a serious impact on our survival.
For more information, visit the solar flare Wikipedia page.
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