Hoax Alert: Cosmic Rays from Mars Entering Earth
There have been rumors circulating that cosmic rays from Mars are entering Earth tonight so we need to switch off our phones, or put them away from us.
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Tonight 12:30 am to 3:30 am cosmo rays entering earth from mars. So switch off your mobile at night. Don’t keep your cell with you & put it away while you are sleeping because they are too much dangerous rays: NASA informs BBC NEWS. Pls spread this news.
The message above is clearly some kind of a HOAX. I don’t know why people are circulating panic messages such as this to disturb the lives of other people. From what I have read, this message has already been circulating since 2008 and it suddenly reappeared today, 6 April 2012. I even received a text message and saw wall posts containing the same fake information.
Meanwhile, I also did check the NASA and BBC news today to see if they really published something like this. Fortunately, NASA never said such a thing and will probably never make such a statement as Mars does produce any electromagnetic rays.
Anyway, there are several reasons to say that this information is untrue.
First, Mars could not emit harmful radiation because it is not a star. Cosmic rays are emitted by stars. i.e bodies that are undergoing nuclear reactions that is fusion (as occurs in our sun) or fission (as occurs in nuclear reactors). Mars is neither. It is a planet that just reflects sunlight. It cannot emit cosmic radiation.
Next, with regards to these rays the earth’s atmosphere is capable of taking care of them so no need to worry. The magnetosphere absorbs and protects us from the sun’s harmful radiation. Whatever remains is too feeble to affect any thing as far as earth.
Another thing is that we are actually hit by cosmic rays every day - all day (and night too). If it was going to hurt your cell, then it would have already fried it by now.
Sometimes magnetic storms on the sun will fry the electronics of satellites in orbit, and may also blow out the power grid in high latitudes near the Earth’s magnetic poles, but other than static, I don’t see what it might do to your cell phones.
So, to anyone who will receive this kind of message, please think it over and help educate others.
Learn more about cosmic rays from this NASA website.
Culled from: Journey to the Stars Blog
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