An extra post today, to share an emergency announcement:

According to our county’s Emergency Management Agency (and other news sources), we on Earth are expecting a “Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm” this weekend, with “at least seven earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)” already on the way.

At first glance, this sounds positively terrifying. But reading on, it appears that we’re not about to be blown into millions of pieces and flung into the stratosphere, or wherever we would be flung in such circumstances. This has apparently happened before — three times just since 2019 — and I seem to have slept through them. The principal effect should be felt in our HF communication, GPS, power grids, spacecraft, satellite navigation, and other technologies . . . possibly. And mainly north of the 45th parallel, which seems to run through the state of Maine, where they may even get to see the Northern Lights if they’re lucky. Don’t know about the rest of the world below the 45th.

If all of this is accurate . . . and I make no such assurances . . . I would suggest, simply out of an excess of caution, (1) coming down out of your spacecraft, if you’re in one; (2) turning off your TV, laptop, iPad, iPhone, and all that other stuff; (3) getting out the candles, lanterns, and a good book or board game; and (4) not driving in unfamiliar neighborhoods unless you still use paper maps. And speaking of vehicles, does anyone drive a Tesla? . . .

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of a Coronal Mass Ejection. However, I am of a long-ago generation, and we didn’t speak of such things . . . not in polite company, at least. So I’m rather looking forward to this weekend.

Oh-oh! I seem to have spoken in haste. That is not at all what I had in mind.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/10/24