South Pole Neutron Detectors Given New Role in Predicting Space Weather 17
sciencehabit writes "A team of researchers has found a way to forecast the intensity of solar storms by monitoring neutron sensors at the South Pole. The approach could help give advanced warning to astronauts and satellites, which would otherwise be irradiated and fried, respectively. Smaller versions of these sensors could one day be standard equipment on interplanetary spacecraft."
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Sometimes a neutron is just a neutron. (Score:5, Informative)
UD Bartol Neutron Monitor program. http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu/Welcome.html [udel.edu]
Detects high energy neutrons produced by high-speed protons colliding with the Earth's upper atmosphere. TFA is that they have figured out the specific signal for high-energy solar flares.
(Last 30 days. [izmiran.rssi.ru])
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
The approach could help give advanced warning to astronauts and sattelites, which would otherwise be irradiated and fried, respectively.
"Sattelites"? "Irradiated and fried, respectively" like meat? Respective of what?
[snip]
People get irradiated (ie cells affected by radiation)
Satellites get fried (ie circuts and/or other electronic components get shorted)
Both are common use terms (adjectives if you will) for the respective nouns that they are used to describe.
Respectively, in that sentence refers not to the sense of of the word which pertains to 'honor', but to the sense of the word that defines the order in which the given adjectives apply to the nouns. I.e. the term 'respectively' denotes that Irradiated refers to the Astro
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fuck off, kdawson.
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Useful discovery (Score:2)
After all, solar storms can knock the 'ell out of satellites.
Predicting space weather? (Score:2, Funny)
Great idea, because they've totally mastered predicting the weather here on earth...
Re:Predicting space weather? (Score:5, Funny)
Great idea, because they've totally mastered predicting the weather here on earth...
Since they haven't mastered it, it's the perfect time to just quit, right?