Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Space Weather Warning

Posted by Zonk on from the going-to-have-to-cancel-my-space-picnic dept.

SallyMac writes "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a Space Weather Warning. On Friday, May 13th, NOAA detected a 'geomagnetic storm of extreme proportions'. From the article: 'This event registered a 9 on the K-Index, which measures the maximum deviation of the Earth's magnetic field in a given three-hour period...The scale ranges from 0 to 9, with 9 being the highest. This was a significant event.' See the article on the NOAA site for more information." Spaceweather.com has details on the resulting auroras.

4 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. Shortwaves were dead by dimss · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There was very poor shortwave propagation yesterday. Now I see why...

  2. This could be as bad as by doofer · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the 'perfect space storm' of 1859.
    http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/23oct_supe rstorm.htm

  3. A Sunday Morning Report by BRock97 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hell, it would have been nice to know this in advance...

    As it was, got out of work about 0800Z Sunday morning and as I was driving home, thought I saw the most bizarre clouds. When I pulled into the driveway, there were these flashes that moved from west to east in the night sky. Since I live next to a small airfield, I assumed it was the lights from there, but when I looked in that direction, they were turned off. So, drove about 20 minutes west of the big city (damn that light) and was treated to a show that words cannot describe. This being my first aurora event, I had didn't know what to expect. I sat and watched for 45 minutes as the sky literally danced. About 30 minutes in, the aurora moved to right above my head and turned into a completely different show with different bands shooting out above me.

    To anyone who hasn't witnessed an aurora, take the time to travel someplace that you can view them. It is totally worth the trip.

    Judging by the POES Auroral Activity graphic, things are firing up again. Damn my luck that thundershowers are moving in to cloud things up....

    --

    Bryan R.
    The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, or $12.50 as seen on eBay.....
  4. Re:I need to find a new primary news source. by Velox_SwiftFox · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Because they didn't have any idea that there was going to be an extreme geomagnetic storm on friday. On friday, there was just an ordinary M8 class flare on the sun. Nothing special, it didn't even seem to be aimed at the Earth, but for some strange reason a glob of solar spittle, carrying solar magnetic field with it, held together or constructively interfered with itself, and we got an extra dose of it.

    Kind of like the tornado sirens that go off after the tornado has passed. This was less a warning than a report of something that already happened.