The world was on the brink of a nuclear apocalypse after a powerful flare on the Sun put out of action the US radar and communications equipment. It was May 23, 1967, at the height of the “cold war”, when the Soviet Union and the United States continued to build nuclear deterrent to ensure that the guaranteed destruction of each other in the event of full-scale war
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The Cuban crisis, one of whose episodes are also nearly brought the US and the Soviet Union to the outbreak of a full-fledged war, now well documented by historians. A solar flare, which became the brightest in the XX century, although it was known, until recently represented the only academic interest. “The most powerful recorded radio signature of the Sun in the XX century, happened May 23, 1967, was about to become a trigger in a tense political and military landscape of the time”, – wrote the scientists in an article in the journal Space Weather of the American Geophysical Union,
for the first time reveals the details of the failed nuclear apocalypse.
So, on this day, May 23, 1967, just three US radar near the North Pole, constituting a system of early detection of ballistic missile launches, were drowned out by strong interference. While tensions between the two countries forced to accept any impact on these stations, including their killing, as a sign of an enemy attack. However, when US authorities were about to alert their nuclear forces, entered last post
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He came from the newly established Center for predictions of solar activity, whose staff just figured out that the radars were knocked out not Russian, and the consequences of several solar flares
«This is the case. when we almost missed “, – he explained study author Delores Knipp from the University of Colorado at Boulder. At the beginning of the outbreak the Sun emits a high X-ray and ultraviolet radiation, as well as plasma emissions, which, before reaching the Earth’s ionosphere, cause strong electromagnetic pulses,
able to cripple the world different electronic devices.
In those years, the United States only started to conduct continuous monitoring of solar activity, and the data is projected flocked to the Command Aerospace Defense (NORAD). More May 18, observers noticed a group of dark spots are concentrated in a certain region of the sun. On May 23 at noon, we were subsequently photographed several solar flares, including the one that later would be called the most powerful radio bursts in the XX century. Soon solar activity Prediction Center issued a bulletin, predicted “significant” geomagnetic storm on the planet for the next 36-48 hours.
However, the warning came at once. At this point, the US Air Force already alerting their nuclear bombers as soon as the radars were knocked out. According Knipp and her co-authors, some of whom are members of the Air Force, retired, from the information center staff came just in time and was able to prevent armed conflict.
Although in those years the US has been kept in the air bombers with nuclear weapons, that at any moment to attack the USSR, additional aircraft remained on the ground
«These aircraft are not soared -. we believe in it. Was the war inevitable? We know that the decisions were taken during the time from tens of minutes to hours, and this information came at the right time and the right place “, – said Knipp
In its report, the authors present and the names of the military, have become key links. chain, on which the necessary information to stop the “flywheel” of war were transferred. While the now retired Colonel Arnold Snyder engaged prediction of solar activity, serving in NORAD. May 23 the central command post requested information without any unusual solar activity, recalls retired military
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«I particularly remember his response and excitement. Yes, the sun burns half, I said, and then explained in detail the more relaxed “- says Snyder.
According to him, as soon as the solar activity subsided, noise drowns out three radar, also stopped. By the way, what happened, most likely, it was reported at the highest level, including the US President Lyndon B. Johnson, the report’s authors argue, citing secret documents.
After 40 hours of geomagnetic storm covered the Earth, interrupted radio communications and it was the cause of the aurora borealis, which was evident even at the latitude of New Mexico for a week. “It was a lesson of how important it is to be ready. Do not figure it out, we just in this solar and geomagnetic storm, the impact of the storm is likely to have been much worse, “- said Knipp
This case, almost became the cause of nuclear war forced the US government to recognize the importance of evaluation. space weather and to build a more powerful system of issuing forecasts
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About as various effects, including those associated with the Sun, nearly provoked launches of ballistic missiles, “Gazeta.ru» told is one of the developers of the national warning system missile attack Valery Alebastrov.
As you know, one of the elements for tracking enemy missiles launches satellites are watching from the orbit of their torches.
«A similar case was with us when and space and ground-based systems have recorded a massive launch from the United States and our employee blocked the signal. The fact that satellites watching starts in the IR range, a source of false alarms are the cities, blast furnaces and other sources that can weed out. But there is still glare tropospheric sun at sunset and sunrise, which resemble missiles and flares arise suddenly, “- said alabaster, creator of the famous Chernobyl Duga” Doug »
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