An X2.8 flare (R3) occurred from Region 3514; located over the far NW area of the Sun. This is likely one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded. Radio communication interference with aircraft were reported by multiple NWS Center Weather Service Units (CWSU) co-located at FAA facilities. These impacts were felt from one end of the Nation to the other. Additionally, SWPC is analyzing a possible Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) associated with this flare. Continue to monitor our web page for the latest information and updates
Thank you for all of this information. 15-30 minute warning is meaningless in a worst case scenario. A substantial CME could be the end of most people on Earth so reliant on the electrical/electronic infrastructure. It would spell absolute chaos upon the western world. Probably, the only people that could survive this are ones that truly live off the land in almost every respect.
Yes, I agree. I added a few more paragraphs to the end of my previous comment while you were typing this one: basically i concur, it is at least possible that a powerful enough CME would lead to the end of the world as we know it, with billions likely dying within a decade as civilization as we know it rather abruptly ending would cause a shock to thw current geo socio economic paradigm so severe that basically pure chaos would ensue pretty quickly.
But also… there is currently no known way to predict the possibility of this happening. We just know it is possible.
EDIT Even people that live off the land would generally have it very tough. No more fertilizer because the economy has collapsed means you better have been doing old school nitrate fixing crop rotation, otherwise the soil will probably not be good enough to continue without more fertilizer.
You fall into that category? Great! Ready for bands of angry violent hungry people with guns who in all likelihood will eventually figure out you have food? Good luck!
Frightening.
I mean, we could always get hit by the extreme radiation from a magnetar (basically a neutron star having a galactic level temper tantrum) that we would also not be able to detect until it hit us, and that could be so extreme it actually does all the shit a bad CME does, and worse, just basically instantly giving everyone cancer and also possibly ripping the atmosphere away.
Universe is wild man, carpe diem.