In March 1989 in Quebec almost a day without heat, light and radio was left 6 million people. In the summer of 2000 unexpectedly failed Japanese communications satellite. And in March 2001 was nearly "dropped" from the orbit of the navigation satellite "Ocean"... Terrorists are above suspicion.

All these and many other events that are not associated with human activities. "Sabotage"that lead to man-made disasters, accidents, and sometimes to human losses, - the manifestation of natural phenomena, called a magnetic storm. What is it? What danger lies in a magnetic storm people? Is it possible to protect themselves from its effects?

Carried away by the solar wind

To answer these questions, let us at least in General terms to imagine the mechanism of occurrence of magnetic storms. Raging beneath the Sun's processes roll to the Ground not only direct streams of light and heat. The temperature of the corona of the Sun - about a million degrees, which means that some particles of the solar matter develop such high speeds, that they manage to overcome the pull of the Sun and with the speed of 200-300 km/sec to go into space. These streams of solar particles of matter called the solar wind.

On the surface of the Sun from time to time occur solar flares different intensity. For example, on August 16, 1989, and April 2, 2001 were recorded powerful solar flare in 20 points and 4 November 2003 occurred record in the history of observational astronomy flash in 28 points, with an estimated its energy could be enough to supply Moscow within 200 million years!

In a flash the speed of the solar particles of matter increases up to 500-1000 km/s, and the solar wind overcomes the distance from the sun to the Earth for 1-3 days. Having reached the Ground, he calls it a magnetic field strong indignation which and is called a magnetic storm.

When raging cosmic element

None of the five human senses to determine the presence of a magnetic storm is impossible. However, we can observe its manifestations. During strong magnetic storms even in places far from polar latitudes, may occur polar lights. In the "thousand-year chronicle of unusual natural phenomena described such cases. In 1269 year "...was a light in the sky, which was light across the country," - wrote the chronicler polar lights over Poland. In 1360 was recorded polar lights over Moscow and Novgorod - the fiery dawn from the East, rising through the sky to the West". And the last time the polar lights was observed in may 2005.

Magnetic storms cause significant interference to radio or television signals, power surges, bringing electrical failure. Magnetic storms are closely connected with the earth's weather. They contribute to the emergence of cyclones and increased cloudiness. Associated with them and many technological disasters occurring not only because of the failed navigation devices, but also because of the increase in the number of errors of people who control the transport and operators dispatch services.

Caught by the storm

On the relationship between solar activity and accidents on transport and the production of A. L. Chizhevsky indicated in 1928. In the 50-ies of XX century this was confirmed by German scientists Reuters and Werner. Having analyzed about 100 thousand accidents, they found that their number increases sharply for a second day after a solar flare. In the 30-ies of XX century in nice was accidentally noticed the link between failures in the work of local telephone stations and the increase in heart attacks and strokes. Subsequently established that the troubles of telecommunications workers directly associated with magnetic storms. Then it was concluded that the health of people, they also have an impact. Later it was confirmed by observations of the Russian judicial medic from Tomsk B. N. Desyatova: he drew attention to the fact that in the period of solar activity the number of suicides is increasing by 4-5 times.

Doctors say that during magnetic storms people complain of headaches, joint pain, palpitations, changes in blood pressure, insomnia, decreased tone. Institute of terrestrial magnetism, ionosphere and radiowave propagation of RAS named the following figures: during magnetic storms, the number of heart attacks increases more than twice, and violations of cerebral circulation in 1.7 times. On magnetic storms react from 50 to 75 percent of the world's population. Among people up to twenty years total 10%, and among the elderly - 60-70 percent.

It is noticed that the time of reaction of people on the magnetic storm is - it can be moved relative to its beginning. Differently perceived by the people and magnetic storms, following one after another: 50 percent weather-sensitive after the first stress response can adapt to the storms that come with an interval in 6-7 days. And for many people the symptoms of the disease occur at all for 1-2 days before the invasion of the solar matter in the magnetosphere of the Earth - that is, at the same time with the flash on the Sun!..

What the guilty media?

That is the connection between Solar activity and well-being of people there, no one there is no doubt. But what is the mechanism? To this question there is no single answer - the experts disagree. Explanations, limited to the fact that people are influenced created magnetic storms electromagnetic field, is unconvincing. Firstly, the effect of plasma matter disproportionately weaker direct flows of heat and light of the same Sun. And secondly, it simply does not go to any comparison with those "magnetic storms", which operate on a person in everyday life. In the subway, for example, the electromagnetic field produced by a sudden acceleration or braking trains hit us hundreds of times stronger than geomagnetic storms. However, quite often cases of heart attacks in the metro does not turn into "epidemic"born magnetic storms!

This is why the vast majority of physicians believes that the deterioration of health of people is connected with... suspiciousness. They believe that the media pay this topic too much attention, but still tell the exact date of the expected storm. Of course, in these days of the population begin to fully manifest all described by the press symptoms.

Who sowed panic?

There is another opinion: the cause of illness people is really panic, but cause its not the media. In recent years, a striking unity of man with the environment became apparent. Were we not only configured on the impact of weak signals of a certain rhythm, but also dependent on them. Back in 1960, the scientists drew attention to the proximity of the frequency of oscillations of the earth fields and frequencies at which the human brain works.

What happens during a magnetic storm? Fluctuations of the magnetic field of the Earth take chaotic, the brain cannot decrypt this information and perceives it as interference, threatening human life. You can also switch protective chemistry of the body, which is expressed in the powerful release of adrenaline (in psychiatry this is called "panic attack"). There palpitations, sweating, nervousness - it brings a person into a state which is described by magnetic storms...

So, the experts disagree. But, it would seem, what does it matter to the dispute scientists? The main thing that both of them admit a cause "magnetic epidemic" is just a panic. But to put on this point is wrong. The choice between the two scholarly opinions can solve a question of life and death for many people.

If one approach is to struggle with panic by depriving the society of information about magnetic storms, the other - in the decision of this problem through awareness - then old and unhealthy people requested to take medication, which lowers the level of adrenalin in blood, and the young and healthy burn it active. Forewarned is forearmed.

With the speed of light

As, for example, to explain the fact that someone symptoms occur simultaneously with flash on the Sun, that is before on Earth begins magnetic storm? In this case not panic because of the media reports, and from interfering with the Earth magnetic field fluctuations. The impression that there is a signal informing people about the Sun's activity. Maybe it's the light, the speed of which (300000 km/s) allows you to "tell" about the outbreak already in 8 minutes? But the people, the back (dark side of the Earth, too sick! So, not light. Then what?

With the same speed and moved gravitational waves that occur in space, excited thrown into it by the solar matter. But unlike light they affect the entire surface of the Earth, not only into the lighted part of it.
What if gravitational waves are true harbingers of a magnetic storm? Then the picture of the impact of solar activity on the person will look the following way. Emissions of the solar matter in space leads to the disturbance of this space. This perturbation in the form of waves at high speed heading for Earth, far ahead of "heavy" star matter of the solar wind. After reaching the Earth, gravitational waves interfere with the working of the human brain... And then it all on the same pattern as with electromagnetic waves.

But this is only an assumption, which can be confirmed or refuted. Absolutely one thing is clear: the myths surrounding magnetic storms a lot, but the reality is still requires serious research.