NASA has released very shocking news today about Earth Black out in 2013. According to NASA reports, the earth is going to massive solar storm in May 2013 which will have capacity to damage the earth and technology like satellites, GPS, mobile phones, television, radio. The solar storm can eject high radiation and charged particles into space which could lead to heavy magnetic fields that will become hazardous for functioning of satellites and space stations. Some experts are predicting that the damages as a result of this solar storm will be as huge as twenty times then the damages occurred due to Hurricane Katrina in year 2005. It could leave millions of people around the globe without electricity, water, and phone service. Experts are saying that it could cost $2 trillion to fix the resulting mess due to solar storm.

This kind of solar storm is not new for man kind as the earth had faced similar storm in 1859 which had caused a lot of damages on earth and it cost the damages of around 81 billion US Dollars within the United States only, but the upcoming solar storm is expected to be more devastated then the previous one. The technology was not that advanced in 1859 like today. There were no electricity, mobile communication, satellite at that time. So impact of solar storm was not that strong in 1859.

Accoring to the reports of NASA, this storm which is expected hit in the month of May 2013 will end most part of our beautiful planet. If we do not consider this warning seriously then our satellite system in the space would be completed destroyed by the heat of this storm which will definitely impact the routine life on earth like air travels, banking system etc.

The reports suggest that there are some ways to limit the amount devasation due to this solar storm by putting satellites in safe mode and other safety precautions.

Sun has a solar cycle of 11-year. At the end of solar cycle, there are typically more sun spots on the Sun, which causes more solar flares (large explosion in the Suns atmosphere) and which creates solar storm in the atmosphere. Each sun spot on the surface has size same as State of Texas.

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NASA Article:


May 29, 2009: An international panel of experts led by NOAA and sponsored by NASA has released a new prediction for the next solar cycle. Solar Cycle 24 will peak, they say, in May 2013 with a below-average number of sunspots.
"If our prediction is correct, Solar Cycle 24 will have a peak sunspot number of 90, the lowest of any cycle since 1928 when Solar Cycle 16 peaked at 78," says panel chairman Doug Biesecker of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
Right: A solar flare observed in Dec. 2006 by NOAA's GOES-13 satellite.
It is tempting to describe such a cycle as "weak" or "mild," but that could give the wrong impression.

"Even a below-average cycle is capable of producing severe space weather," points out Biesecker. "The great geomagnetic storm of 1859, for instance, occurred during a solar cycle of about the same size were predicting for 2013."
The 1859 storm--known as the "Carrington Event" after astronomer Richard Carrington who witnessed the instigating solar flare--electrified transmission cables, set fires in telegraph offices, and produced Northern Lights so bright that people could read newspapers by their red and green glow. A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences found that if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause $1 to 2 trillion in damages to society's high-tech infrastructure and require four to ten years for complete recovery. For comparison, Hurricane Katrina caused "only" $80 to 125 billion in damage.

According to the forecast, the sun should remain generally calm for at least another year. From a research point of view, that's good news because solar minimum has proven to be more interesting than anyone imagined. Low solar activity has a profound effect on Earths atmosphere, allowing it to cool and contract. Space junk accumulates in Earth orbit because there is less aerodynamic drag. The becalmed solar wind whips up fewer magnetic storms around Earth's poles. Cosmic rays that are normally pushed back by solar wind instead intrude on the near-Earth environment. There are other side-effects, too, that can be studied only so long as the sun remains quiet.
Meanwhile, the sun pays little heed to human committees. There could be more surprises, panelists acknowledge, and more revisions to the forecast.
"Go ahead and mark your calendar for May 2013," says Pesnell. "But use a pencil."

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