Post #35 Eclipses & Solar Flares; Communications Disruptions?

April 8^th eclipse; “done”. Perhaps you also have wondered about some internet comments & speculation. Whether eclipses disrupt the internet. & Other stories: whether ongoing solar flares will greatly disrupt the internet. I am not an educated eclipse specialist. I looked up some (food for thought) info. on these topics, now shared below:

Several things said (by reputable looking website sources) to be eclipse event misconceptions:

a. Major/widespread internet disruption?; not. Solar events may “cause ‘minor disruptions’ to satellite communications, [but] solar eclipse itself will not *directly* cause a [wide] internet or mobile data service outage”. Good to be aware of though: a surge of tourists & onlookers may slow down internet connection via far greater local demand than usual. “Network providers & public officials” pre-prepared for significant increases in cellular/WiFi traffic caused by large numbers of ‘eclipse tourists’. According to Downdetector website: “User reports indicated no [particular internet] problems at Eclipse”. A report article after the eclipse noted that internet traffic actually “declined in regions most impacted by the eclipse” especially during the actual eclipse event.

b. Power Outages?; not really. A solar eclipse can “temporarily hinder solar panels from functioning”. That disruption might be considered minimal in the big picture, e.g. causing a temporary widescale power outage in areas most reliant on solar energy.

c. No sunburn possibilities?; wrong. Because: a solar eclipse only temporarily blocks out the light from the sun, but *not the harmful UV rays* that can cause skin health damage. So outside eclipse viewers still need to be careful about prolonged sun exposure, in order to avoid sunburns.

d. End of the World?; evidently not. At least… we’re still here the day after. Rather, a solar eclipse is a “naturally occurring space phenomenon that scientists predict in advance”.

e. Damage specifically to pregnant mothers?; seems incorrect per current knowledge. “Although long exposure to a solar eclipse may cause some harmful effects … no study indicates that it has an explicit effect on pregnant mothers.” Harmful effect example: sunburn still a possibility, as noted above.

& Regarding solar flare disruptions? (we have apparently entered a more active phase for these, perhaps this year & next). I noted a comment that a possible spectre of societal collapse is almost always ‘good for internet clicks’. Another comment from a science-based website (partly staffed by astronauts over its history): “don’t lose sleep over an [impending] ‘internet apocalypse’.” Another, long-running “fact-checking & investigative reporting” website noted: Internet concern has been partly fuelled by a “non-existent NASA alert”. Because “NASA hasn’t [actually] issued any warnings about an internet apocalypse”. Although scientists may “expect major solar storms to occur after solar activity reaches its peak”. But apparently, no factual evidence at this point is supporting viral rumors that “the next major solar storm” will cause an offline internet.