Yesterday's solar flare set social networks alight with apocalyptic comments and quips that “the end was nigh” and scares as to the dangers of the astrophysical phenomenon.
An online torrent of rumours was met with news reports that there was no need to panic over the solar flare - it was not fatal.
Online platforms like Twitter and Facebook represented a contingent of panic-induced commentary, but micro-bloggers on the whole tended to display more levity and curiosity around the subject.
#SolarFlare trended on Twitter throughout the day yesterday. Here are some of the tweets that echoed the general sentiment of the short-lived sensation:
“Is the world really ending today because of a #solarflare? Hmm..what to wear on the last day of the world..?”
“To all those who missed the #SolarFlare , we all died at 16:18pm (17 minutes ago). I'm feeling better now though. #21Dec2012 - here I come!”
“Wanted something exciting to happen with the #SolarFlare, so much for astral glory!”
“Omg! The people in my office are panicking. We are all going to burn up in flames of radiated crispiness! Oh the humanity! #SolarFlare SMH!”
Following a News24 post calling for calm after rumours had flooded social networks, Facebook posts included: “Yes there is a need to panic, this is part of the chain events leading to the Mayan prophecy, the prophecy will be realised, the prophecy will be realised.”
“'No need to panic'? Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference! Is there ever a NEED to act irrationally, make yourself ill, and obstruct others activities, and generally be a liability? If something ain't botherin' you, then just leave it alone.”
Scientifically speaking
The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) yesterday released a statement highlighting the event and possible implications to allay fears and clarify the astral phenomenon. “A large sunspot, from region 1402 on the sun, which has a large latitudinal extent and is located in a geo-effective position, erupted in the early morning on Monday, 23 January, at around 05:59 South African time.”
While the report made it clear that geomagnetic storms were possible and that radio communications may be interrupted, it made no mention of an imminent threat to the human race. Scientifically speaking, the report says the early morning eruption produced a long-duration M9-class solar flare, which means it was on the threshold of being an X-class flare, the most powerful kind of solar flare. But yesterday's flare, says SANSA, was the first fast M-class flare of 2012. It was likely to have an impact on spacecraft in geosynchronous, polar and other orbits passing through Earth's ring current, but not on earthly inhabitants per se.
SANSA corporate communications manager Vaneshree Maharaj says there were a lot of hoaxes doing the rounds yesterday that fuelled the hype and horror. “There was really no need for South Africans to panic. The Southern Hemisphere didn't experience any major disruptions.”
Maharaj explains that the sun constantly sends out flares, in 11-year cycles of increasing magnitude. 2012 is the eleventh year of a cycle, or solar maxima, which is also why the hype was greater this time around than in previous instances.
She says telecommunications companies have mechanisms in place for these kinds of astral activity and aircraft were affected, but on the whole the event was nothing to write home about. “DSTV might have had a bit of noise at one stage, but nothing major.”
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