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If you think extreme weather on Earth is bad, wait and see what’s up in outer space.
In the Solar System, weather can be as bad as on Earth, and worse. Cassini found out that Titan, Saturn’s biggest moon already known for its methane atmosphere, has rainy seasons as well. It can be affected by the least common and most severe type of thunderstorm: supercells. This is exactly what has been recorded in 2009 on its southern pole, making it the “The Biggest Storm Ever on Small World“. The computer model recently developed at Caltech will help explain these phenomena and offer simulations for the future.
But, spectacular as it might be, Titan is not the weirdest thing out there. For instance, the huge gaseous planet HD 189733b, located just 63 light-years from Earth, gets its blue color from the light filtering into its atmosphere.
But this hue is not due to air: it’s actually silicate. As a result, when it rains over there, it rains molten glass.
“Obviously, the sun is Earth’s life blood. (…) To mitigate possible public safety issues, it is vital that we better understand extreme space weather events caused by the sun’s activity.” – Richard Fisher, NASA, Heliophysics Division
Being within the habitable zone does not imply mild weather either. If a planet orbits a red dwarf, it would need to be quite close in order to have enough energy for sustaining life. But this would expose it to extreme weather due to the intense pressure of the stellar wind.
“There is a constant stream of high-energy galactic and solar radiation interacting with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. This interaction creates a cascade of secondary particles. Some of the secondary particles, in particular neutrons, can affect aircraft avionic systems.
” – ATSB Interim report on QF72
When the Weather Strikes
The Sun can also have a huge impact on Earth weather. With “space weather” scientists indicate solar activity, and NASA monitors it carefully. Magnetic storms from the Sun can cause severe damage to critical infrastructures, especially electric systems, also affecting satellites, global positioning and weather forecasting.
Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) only represent a serious threat for interplanetary missions and seldom reach Earth’s, but accidents happen. For example, they might have been responsible for a near disaster involving an Airbus A330-303 Qantas jet on its way from Singapore to Perth. While the report was not able to offer a conclusive explanation on the event, the suspicion remains strong.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
An accurate monitoring of space weather and cosmic rays can help reduce severe impact on critical infrastructures. Moreover, extreme weather conditions, either storms on Titan or crystal rains on far-away planets, can shed light on the origin and the characteristics of our solar system and, why not, give some hints about where our own climate on Earth is heading. Some scientists talk now about the next big extinction awaiting us and a better comprehension of these phenomena is needed for facing the challenge.
About the author
Stephen P. Bianchini is a statistician and a social scientist working in higher education. Based in rainy UK. Passionate about astrophysics, space security, SF and technical diving. Blog: http://earthianhivemind.net/ Twitter: @SPBianchini
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