EMFs and increased solar activity

[PPI Karl]

I had a chance to revisit (on audio) a little conversation that Brad, David, Glenn and I were having up in Big Bear, about geophysical and environmental conditions that naturally facilitate high EMFs.  Besides local weather, planetary weather came up in conversation:  periods of increased sunspot activity cause sometimes incredibly high electromagnetic fields.  Sadly, as far as I know, we have nothing like the National UfO Reporting Center to collect and log reports of ghostly activity.  Otherwise, we could analyze the data to see whether there are any patterns of increased reports during times of increased solar activity.

Anyway, we have our chance now to perform our own micro-study.  The sun is about to enter a highly active phase, and astronomers have spotted (no pun intended) their first magnetically backward sunspot of the new cycle.  I'm kind of excited about this because, if the theory holds true, it means that potential for capturing prime evidence should also increase.  I would love to know the effect of dangerous planetary geophysical weather on putative spirits, too:  are ghosts vulnerable to "shorting out" under certain electromagnetic conditions?

Here's the article on Space.com, if anyone wants to read it:  "Sun's Next Stormy Cycle Starts"

The downside, however, is the concurrent theory that EMFs somehow alter the brain's visual center (as yet, an unproven assumption, I might add), so increased sunspot activity might mean that increased reports of paranormal activity are more untrustworthy.  Furthermore, we're more likely to lose our digital evidence, or experience full-on equipment malfunction, if solar flares are fanning their electromagnetic beasties at us.

Start stocking up on extra 9 volt batteries now!

[PPI Brian]

Hi Karl,

Have you ever checked out the SOHO web site?

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/

As an avid "white light" solar observer (which really means I can't afford a decent Hydrogen Alpha filtered telescope), I always check this site to see if there are any large sun spots worthy of photographing. Current solar wind speed and space weather are constantly updated, and predictions of widespread aurora activity are also posted. Before they redesigned the site, there was a searchable data base of MDI and IR images going back several years, so one could compare the date they captured/recorded paranormal activity with solar activity at that time. They also have cool videos or CME (Coronal Mass Ejections) that will blow you away.

Regards,

Brian Miller

[PPI Karl]

Brian, thanks for the link.  We must think alike about some of this stuff because I visit SOHO online whenever we go on an investigation, so that I can incorporated the solar activity info into our reports.  These--no surprise--are the more interesting data to hunt down for the report, since the search takes me thorugh the back alleys of astronomy pages and beautiful, incredible pictures from the many telescopes.  (Surprisingly, the most difficult information to gather with any consistency from one report to the next is weather and climate.  You'd think that would be a given, but it ain't.)

It's been a while since I looked at the mass coronal ejection photos, so you've whetted my appetite.  I'm off now to look at the albums.  By the way, have you been following the science news about the unexpected sunspot activity near the sun's south pole?

Be well, Brian.

[PPI Brian]

Hi Karl,

Yes, I have.    I am a constant browser of science and astronomy related web sites and magazines, and I try to check them often. The sun fascinates me, and I enjoy observing it with my meager equipment. I suppose that makes me a very boring person, but it keeps me out of trouble!

It?s interesting to realize that our sun is a lot more active than scientists would normally anticipate during the relatively ?quiet? solar minimum. On a related note, I recall photographing some amazing sunspot activity during the October 2003 firestorm. NASA was surprised when a group of Jupiter-sized sunspots formed and blasted the Earth with the most powerful solar flare ever recorded: an X28, if I remember correctly. They were surprised because the sun was supposed to be quieting down after a long and hyperactive 11-year cycle. What really impressed me was the fact that NASA, for the first time, was able to track the progress and measure the intensity of these energetic outbursts all the way across our solar system using the Mars Global Surveyor, Cassini and even the Voyager I & Voyager II probes! Very cool!

An excerpt from the Space Flight Now web site sums it up for me:

Now, as Ulysses again passes over the large polar coronal holes of the Sun at solar minimum we will finally have the answer. Recent SWICS observations show that the average temperature of the southern polar coronal hole at the current solar minimum is as low as it was 10 years ago in the northern polar coronal hole. "This implies that the asymmetry between north and south has switched with the change of the magnetic polarity of the Sun," said Gloeckler. The definitive proof will come when Ulysses measures the temperature of the north polar coronal during the next 15 months.

The temperature fluctuations at the sun?s poles seem to coincide with the sun?s polarity during solar maximum and solar minimum. Wouldn?t it be cool if NASA and ESA scientists could successfully observe the sun?s magnetic field reverse polarity?

Sadly, I?ll bet you all the local news would report that day is a slew of mundane earthly crap, like Paris Hilton?s latest escapades or Brittany Spears? latest tattoo!

Regards,

Brian