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Yet Another Big Solar Flare
philthedrill writes "CNN is reporting that the sun has fired another large solar flare towards Earth. This one could arrive as early as Thursday (Oct. 30th) afternoon. (insert end-of-the-world statement here)."
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See www.spaceweather.com for more info. SEC's Space Weather Now, however, seems to be down (www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN).
I heard on NPR last night that an X class CME has the effect of about "10 dental X-rays" on folks flying in airplanes over the poles. I guess the magnetic field lines make the poles the most vulnerable area, and at higher altitudes there is less atmosphere for protection.
The peak in the current cycle was a few years back....see the NOAA's SolarCycle page Considering it's an 11 year cycle, we are supposed to be on the downswing right now....also, don't forget that we're now at two major storms in the last few days, emmenating from two massive (and still growing) sunspots on the surface of the sun...so, I would call this something extraordinary.
I called 1800-USA4SUN about this.
They recommended patching.
Er, to see the effects of this solar flare, you would be much happier looking at the Aurora Borealis. Light pollution is going to be a big concern.
We actually have access to many thousands of years worth of climactic data, thanks to extracted ice cores, data from the ocean floor, and an number of other sources. For starters, have a look at The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute's website for more information on the subject.
Don't Panic!
CNN: "Power grids in the northern United States and Canada felt the effects of the first storm. Utilities endured power surges and closely monitored their systems to prevent surges, according to NOAA."
... This magnetic field change, which occurs fairly rapidly, then induces currents in nearby conductors. ... In those areas that do not have high conductivity, such as those areas that contain igneous rock, the induced current flows through any available current path-typically, the long utility system lines for power, gas, oil, water, and telecommunications."
Check out this article for more details on how solar flares cause these surges.
Excerpt:
"If (when) this flow of charged particles and embedded magnetic field collides with the Earth, it dramatically disrupts Earth's geomagnetic field and ionosphere, changing the terrestrial magnetic fields
Take off, every Hoser
Acording to this article, we have about 250 years of recorded sunspot history.
Which is itself a nod from Matt Groening to Asimov's classic short "Nightfall"
-- your Web browser is Ronald Reagan
I'm in northern Scotland, and I saw it (faintly) last night (that is, around 11 PM on the 29th). A couple of people I've spoken to said they saw it much brighter around 9 PM
Curiosity was framed. Ignorance killed the cat.