This year is predicted to be a year of major sunspot activity. Greater than any recently. What problems?

Question

Since the advent of modern satellite communications and computer systems - possible dammages?
How valid are the predictions?
What may result?
Anything we can do to protect our personal equipment (from cars to watches to phones to computers and TVs)?

Answer 1

Here's a good web site with lots of information on problems caused by sunspots:

"Geomagnetic Storms

One to four days after a flare or eruptive prominence occurs, a slower cloud of solar material and magnetic fields reaches Earth, buffeting the magnetosphere and resulting in a geomagnetic storm. These storms are extraordinary variations in Earth's surface magnetic field. During a geomagnetic storm, portions of the solar wind's energy is transferred to the magnetosphere, causing Earth's magnetic field to change rapidly in direction and intensity and energize the particle populations within it.
Disrupted Systems

Communications
Many communication systems utilize the ionosphere to reflect radio signals over long distances. Ionospheric storms can affect radio communication at all latitudes. Some radio frequencies are absorbed and others are reflected, leading to rapidly fluctuating signals and unexpected propagation paths. TV and commercial radio stations are little affected by solar activity, but ground-to-air, ship-to-shore, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and amateur radio are frequently disrupted. Radio operators using high frequencies rely upon solar and geomagnetic alerts to keep their communication circuits up and running.

Some military detection or early-warning systems are also affected by solar activity. The Over-the-Horizon Radar bounces signals off the ionosphere in order to monitor the launch of aircraft and missiles from long distances. During geomagnetic storms, this system can be severely hampered by radio clutter. Some submarine detection systems use the magnetic signatures of submarines as one input to their locating schemes. Geomagnetic storms can mask and distort these signals.

The Federal Aviation Administration routinely receives alerts of solar radio bursts so that they can recognize communication problems and forego unnecessary maintenance. When an aircraft and a ground station are aligned with the Sun, jamming of air-control radio frequencies can occur. This can also happen when an Earth station, a satellite, and the Sun are in alignment."

There's more info. on this site. Check it out.

Answer 2

No, we are at solar minimum as the previous guy said.

Predictions are done in solar physics, which is a fairly recent field. Solar physicists have established an eleven year cylce featuring a solar maximum and minimum. Solar max is when there are alot of solar activities such as solar winds, coronal mass ejections, solar flare etc.

These events really do not affect everyday people. However, activities such as the ones above are known to damage satellites, distrupt electromagnetic waves for things such as GPRS, television broadcasting. There are instances when they destroy large transformers and generators on earth but these cases are rare. They can also affect planes's navigation systems on certain paths, esp. close to poles.
So you shouldnt have to worry about your equipment or anything else. Unless you have satellites in space or fly over the north pole a lot. The next solar max is in about 5 years.

Answer 3

The Mayans and diverse others have envisioned such issues as "considerable substitute" and "religious transformation" and "worldwide awakening" yet who ever suggested that those words are issues to concern? i think of that's barely people who're petrified of substitute, that concern such issues. in my view? i think of they're good omens. for example. Many might say, yet seem at each and every of the wars, shootings, and chaos! confident, all that's actual. however the way I see it, the international is basically removing basically about all those issues that gets interior the way of the effective engergy it particularly is coming. What comes after war, taking pictures, and chaos? Peace, compassion and order. additionally, in numerology, 2012 is a quantity 5. 5 is the style of substitute. Does substitute recommend loss of life and chaos? No. It basically potential substitute- a shifting of techniques and events. final factor- i could no longer help yet word that there are diverse obtainable who're extra spiritually attuned, extra enlightened, extra conscious and that is spreading like wildfire. interior the tip, all human beings will have faith what they want. I even nevertheless, basically wanted to show out that there is basically as lots evidence of 2012 being something to look forward to as a replace of something to concern.

Answer 4

Um, no it's not. We're approaching solar minimum. January 2008 will be the low point in the 11-year sunspot cycle. Who told you that this year was going to be very active?