Cosmic Rays Hit Space Age High

Cosmic Rays Hit Space Age High

science.nasa.gov

NASA spacecraft are measuring record-high levels of cosmic rays--a side-effect of the deepest solar minimum in nearly a century. The cosmic ray storm appears to be intensifying, say researchers, and the peak may be yet to come.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I'm wondering what kinds of effects we can expect to see from this or what is already happening. I know this has been discussed before but the solar max not showing its face and just a few sunspots here and there makes me wonder what is really going on. Is it possible this is even affecting the sun?

science.nasa.gov
(visit the link for the full news article)

Are we already seeing the effects in the spate of big earthquakes we've been having?

Originally posted by atzmaz


I'm wondering what kinds of effects we can expect to see from this or what is already happening. I know this has been discussed before but the solar max not showing its face and just a few sunspots here and there makes me wonder what is really going on. Is it possible this is even affecting the sun?

science.nasa.gov
(visit the link for the full news article)

Are these cosmic rays really coming from our sun, or are they coming from the center of our galaxy as others have talked about? If the sun is now going through a quiet period, then the rays must be coming from another place. It only stands to reason.

reply to post by FiatLux


They are coming from elsewhere in the Galaxy/Universe not directly from our sun. Its actually the sun's diminishing wind that is allowing more of these cosmic rays beyond the heliopause and into our solar system.

Yes, on the surface it would seem illogical that a solar minimum would see an increase of cosmic radiation if it were coming from the sun. However, I'm saying that with absolutely no knowledge on the subject, and stranger things do seem to be true. However, I do tend to agree with you that we can't rule out a source other than the sun.

reply to post by atzmaz

Yes, it is an event that is suppose to happen. The magnets of the sun and it`s planets have all dropped to low points allowing the entry of these rays.

What happen's when the cosmic rays hit earth. Could it effect humand as well??? Increase in cancer??? Does someone have a map showing the tetonic plates on earth? Like there major positions?

Increased cosmic radiation likely contributes to increased cancers and other mutations of DNA. All life forms on Earth will be affected. A solar minimum is a dangerous time for DNA. This extra long solar minimum could be contributing to the rise in cancer.

Originally posted by Maddogkull
What happen's when the cosmic rays hit earth. Could it effect humand as well??? Increase in cancer??? Does someone have a map showing the tetonic plates on earth? Like there major positions?

They have been hitting Earth for some time now. It will effect everything that we can see. It WILL effect not only humans, but the Earth itself. This will effect the DNA of everything, even the Earth will change. I see you even talk about the tectonic plates, so you DO know that the Earth will expand in size, as will the sun and the rest of the planets. Cancer, I don`t believe so.

[edit on 30-9-2009 by FiatLux]

reply to post by Maddogkull


The cosmic ray measurements were made by the ACE satellite which is about 1 million miles out in space. Just because there is an increase in cosmic rays out there, does not mean that the surface of the Earth will be hit by more of them. The magnetosphere tends to direct most cosmic rays to the polar regions. Once they enter the atmosphere, most of the energy of the rays is absorbed by the atmosphere. So if you are flying in an airplane near the poles you are at a greater risk from cosmic rays but not so much on the ground at "normal" latitudes.

Earth is in no great peril from the extra cosmic rays. The planet's atmosphere and magnetic field combine to form a formidable shield against space radiation, protecting humans on the surface. Indeed, we've weathered storms much worse than this. Hundreds of years ago, cosmic ray fluxes were at least 200% higher than they are now.

www.sciencedaily.com...

A point of contention that I had with a post in the duplicate of this thread's info, was a statement by Cosmic4life

On a serious note, i am wondering just how intense it's going to get.
Our solar system is drifting into the dense part of the Galactic disc at the moment as it crosses the Galactic equator.

(Note: That thread has been closed by a moderator)

Right now, we are about 20.5 parsecs above it. Give or take 3.5 parsecs. That works out to between 325,949,977,700,000 to 60,164,674,400,000 miles. (55.45 - 78.28 lightyears).

adsabs.harvard.edu...

The last I read, it will be about 5 to 8 million more years before we pass through the galactic plane. (give or take a few million)

This whoile 2012 thing is about an alignment... a period where the the orbital precession of the Earth will be in such a position that for about 18 years, on the winter solstice the Sun will appear to rise in the direction of the center of the galaxy. It's been doing this since about 2003.


Now.. about that Galactic Cosmic ray thing.

One theory that has been proposed about the cosmic rays, is that they tend to seed cloud production. More clouds means a higher albedo... or reflectance of sunlight. Natch, the Anthropogenic Global Warming crowd doesn't' like this idea, and tend to poo poo it away at every opportunity.

Personally, I don't have the background to say one way or the other... but CERN (the black hole guys) are looking into it with an experiment named ( gee, figure out where they came up with this one ) "CLOUD" - Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets.

public.web.cern.ch...





[edit on 1-10-2009 by RoofMonkey]

Hmmm some-one should send that info to Al Gore.
Fluctuating weather patterns.
Decreased solar output.
Increased cosmic rays.
Obviously man-made!

On a serious note, i am wondering just how intense it's going to get.
Our solar system is drifting into the dense part of the Galactic disc at the moment as it crosses the Galactic equator.
Betelgeuse is ripe for supernova.
Also the threat of Galactic super-waves.
All this just when our sun decides to take a nap.
The idea of Gamma ray bursts being responsible for Macro-mutation keeps crossing my mind also.
We shall see.

I would like to point out to RoofMonkey that although the ecliptic of the plane is a tiny sliver.
The accretion disk is thick and densly populated.
We are indeed travelling through the accretion disk.

Yep.. and extends about 100 lyr above and below. If fact, we are part of that debris field.

Believe what tripe you want. I posted my source links.

Originally posted by Phage

The cosmic ray measurements were made by the ACE satellite which is about 1 million miles out in space. Just because there is an increase in cosmic rays out there, does not mean that the surface of the Earth will be hit by more of them. The magnetosphere tends to direct most cosmic rays to the polar regions. Once they enter the atmosphere, most of the energy of the rays is absorbed by the atmosphere. So if you are flying in an airplane near the poles you are at a greater risk from cosmic rays but not so much on the ground at "normal" latitudes.

Earth is in no great peril from the extra cosmic rays. The planet's atmosphere and magnetic field combine to form a formidable shield against space radiation, protecting humans on the surface. Indeed, we've weathered storms much worse than this. Hundreds of years ago, cosmic ray fluxes were at least 200% higher than they are now.

www.sciencedaily.com...

Sorry Phage, but I have t disagree with you on this once again.

Not many years ago NASA, and ESA were claiming that only space dust was enterig the Solar System, and althought they stated that the increase in interstellar dust would exponentially increase each year until 2012, when it would level out, they claimed this would not affect Earth and nothing would come of this. Now we know that a lot more is happening.

I stated years ago that if more interstellar dust was entering the Solar System, then more charged particles, plasma, and even more gases would be able to enter into the Solar System, all of which do affect the dynamics of the Solar System, including the climate of planets with an atmosphere.

Now, despite the claims from Phage we also know that the Earth's magnetic field has been weakening since 1845, and it is now weaker than it has been for many thousands of years.

We also know that the magnetic field fluctuation, and weakening has allowed for breaches in the magnetic field to open up, and scientists believed the way the breaches occurred was not possible because their scientific understanding made them believe so.

You add up the fact that more charged particles, apart from interstellar dust, and more plasma, etc is entering the Solar System than has occurred in a long time, the fact that the Earth's magnetic field is weaker than it has been for thousands of years, and that even breaches in the magnetic field occur despite scientists believing it was not possible, and the sum of all this points to the fact that yes, all of this does affect Earth, and will affect life on Earth, including mankind.

For example. All the changes that are happening on Earth, and in the Solar System are causing the following.

Changes In Earth's Ozone Layer Predicted To Increase UV Radiation In Tropics And Antarctica

ScienceDaily (Sep. 16, 2009) — Physicists at the University of Toronto have discovered that changes in the Earth’s ozone layer due to climate change will reduce the amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in northern high latitude regions such as Siberia, Scandinavia and northern Canada. Other regions of the Earth, such as the tropics and Antarctica, will instead face increasing levels of UV radiation.
................
“Both human and ecosystem health are affected by air quality and by UV radiation,” says Shepherd. “While there has been much research on the impact of climate change on air quality, our work shows that this research needs to include the effect of changes in stratospheric ozone. And while there has been much research on the impact of ozone depletion on UV radiation and its impacts on human and ecosystem health, the notion that climate change could also affect UV radiation has not previously been considered. This adds to the list of potential impacts of climate change, and is especially important for Canada as northern high latitudes are particularly affected.”

www.sciencedaily.com...

After all that has happened, and even the discoveries we have made that space weather does affect the Earth, and other planets, including their climate, I am amazed at the fact that there are still people who believe what happens in the Solar System, or that even the different regions that the Solar System goes through can not affect the Solar System, or Earth.