Nexus - 0802 - New Times Magazine-pages

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GALACTIC SUPERWAVE ALERT HAZARD Our solar system is subjected to an intense volley of cosmic rays from a galactic core explosion every 10,000 to 26,000 years, and the next catastrophic event is already overdue. omets and asteroids are not the only space hazards that threaten the Earth. There is another phenomenon that occurs far more frequently, but has only recently been discovered: the arrival of an intense volley of galactic cosmic rays, or what has been termed a galactic superwave.'* The most recent superwave affected the Earth and the entire solar system during the period from about 16,000 to 11,000 years ago and, through its ultimate effect on the Sun, was responsible for bringing an abrupt end to the last ice age. Through these solar effects, the superwave was also responsible for the mass extinction which occurred 12,750 years ago, wiping out 95 per cent of the large mammal species on the North American continent. Palaeontologists agree that this was the worst mass extinc- tion since the demise of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, but its cause had long been a mystery. Excessive hunting by Palaeolithic tribes cannot account for the 22 genera of birds which also became extinct at that time. Nor can hunting explain why atmospheric radiocarbon coincidentally rose to unprecedented levels, and why Moon rocks register solar flare activity over 50 times higher than present levels. Nor can it explain the wide- spread slaughter of large and small mammals, not only to the south of the North American ice sheet but also in the Arctic (Alaska and Siberia), in Europe and even in South America, their remains being found entombed in deposits left by the passage of cata- strophic glacial meltwater floods. Gazing out at the night sky, we easily assume that what we see is the way things have been for millions of years: the star-studded heavens, a beautiful Moon, and a Sun that in the morning will rise in its full glory. Unfortunately this has not always been the case— and will not always be so. Overnight, this peaceful scene could be transformed into a grotesque display that could best be described as "all hell breaking loose". Our galaxy's hibernating, dust-shrouded core—which has long remained hidden from view, nestled between the constellations of Sagittarius and Scorpius—will be seen on that fateful day to have awakened to shine forth a strange, brilliant, blue-white light. It will appear as a guest star, far brighter than the planet Venus at full phase, signalling the galactic super- wave's arrival. The cosmic ray particle volley which had been relentlessly travelling towards us for 23,000 years, inconspicuously crossing the void separating us from the galactic centre, will now have become a visible spectacle for all to see. These cosmic rays are ultra-relativistic, meaning that they travel so close to the speed of light that they give rise to superluminal visual effects. The synchrotron radiation emitted in the course of their 23,000-year trek will appear to unfold towards us in a matter of days, showering us with everything from low-frequency radiowaves and visible light to ultravi- olet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays, not to mention the penetrating particle volley itself. What we will be witnessing is what astronomers call a galactic core explosion. It's a phenomenon they have seen going on in distant galaxies. Now, with the arrival of the superwave, they and the whole world will be experiencing first-hand the same phenome- non happening in our own Milky Way Galaxy. by Paul A. LaViolette, PhD © October 2000 — January 2001 The Starburst Foundation 6369 Beryl Road #104 Alexandria VA 22312 USA E-mail: Gravitics1@aol.com Website: www.etheric.com/ by Paul A. LaViolette, PhD © October 2000 — January 2001 OVERVIEW OF THE CORE EXPLOSION PHENOMENON The core explosion phenomenon first became known to astronomy in the 1960s with the discovery of the Seyfert galaxies with their luminous cores, radio galaxies and, at the more extreme end of the energetic spectrum, objects called quasars and blazars. Observations indicated that a galactic core during its explosive phase can release a total energy equivalent at least to that coming from hundreds of thousands of supernova explo- sions. In some cases, their output can reach up to that of even billions of supernovae.*° The Starburst Foundation 6369 Beryl Road #104 Alexandria VA 22312 USA E-mail: Gravitics1@aol.com Website: www.etheric.com/ NEXUS - 51 FEBRUARY — MARCH 2001