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Sun Produces First Cycle 24 X-Class Solar Flare

Posted by Soulskill on from the go-outside-and-look dept.

radioweather writes "For the first time since solar cycle 24 began, the sun produced a massive X-class solar flare, the strongest type of flare event. This comes from sunspot group 1158, which produced an M-class solar flare on Sunday. The EVE X-ray imager on the solar dynamics observatory shows a bright explosion on the sun, so bright it made a lens flare. The last X-class solar flare was on December 13th, 2006 and was part of solar cycle 23. Look for spectacular auroras in a couple days as the slower Coronal Mass Ejection hits earth. This will be a test of how well our newest technology handles stray energy from such solar disruptions."

131 comments

  1. Stop this already... It's Oracle by c0lo · · Score: 5, Funny

    'Nuf said

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    1. Re:Stop this already... It's Oracle by hishamaus · · Score: 1

      Well, Then I Am The One Who Will Be Asking Questions Around Here - *Homer Simpson styled*

  2. am I the only one? by youn · · Score: 5, Funny

    for a second I thought it was about a 24 core new server from sun... then I realized the solar flare was not the oracle purchase :)

    --
    Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that :p
    1. Re:am I the only one? by Nursie · · Score: 1

      Nope, you're not alone. It took me until the word "flare" to realise this was something else!

    2. Re:am I the only one? by fabioalcor · · Score: 2

      Oracle didn't bought THAT sun... not yet.

    3. Re:am I the only one? by dogsbreath · · Score: 1

      Ans: Noooooooo! It was the first thought in my head as well.

      "X-Class Solar Flare", at last something to replace the Victoria line of CPUs and do away with those bloated, overpriced, power hungry SPARCs (is my prejudice showing?).

      How disappointing that we are talking about a celestial object that is the prime enabler of our life on Earth and an event which will create spectacular results to be viewed by millions around the world.

      Sigh.

    4. Re:am I the only one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I also had a shiver of hope that Sun was back in business...

      snifff.... We Want Sun Back!!!

    5. Re:am I the only one? by DrChandra · · Score: 1

      I'm with ya bro. I used to work on a product called the "Lunar Flare", so I was thinkin hardware too.

      --
      Words, words, words ... Buz, buz! - Hamlet, Act II, Scene II
  3. start worrying? by louic · · Score: 5, Funny

    How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not? Please let us know if we need to start worrying or not, just like in this post earlier on slashdot.

    1. Re:start worrying? by c0lo · · Score: 1

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not?.

      Save often, buddy, it doesn't hurt.

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    2. Re:start worrying? by lul_wat · · Score: 1

      February 15, 2011

      * The United States government's national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow.

      --
      Divide a cake by zero. Is it still a cake?
    3. Re:start worrying? by captainpanic · · Score: 2

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not? Please let us know if we need to start worrying or not, just like in this post earlier on slashdot.

      I agree.
      But according to all the media, there are so many things to worry about that I propose that from now on, we only get the Factor of Cumulative Worries (FCW).
      The news should simply give us a level of worriedness - it can be in 5 simple colors so that infants also understand it - ranging from green to red.
      "Today it's level Red! We're gonna die! Tomorrow, we expect a mild level Yellow. It will be green over the weekend, but don't cheer because on Monday we expect another Red!"

      Back to your question: It's government policy that it's probably safer to worry. So, yes, you should be worried. Just in case.

    4. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You always need to worry. The sun's dangerous y'know. It causes global warming and everything.

    5. Re:start worrying? by MacTO · · Score: 2

      Well increased solar activity it ought to add a little spunk to the aurora, which means that you can watch one of natures more beautiful light shows without tangoing with polar bears. So that's one less thing to worry about and one more thing to be happy about.

    6. Re:start worrying? by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, you don't need to worry about it. You just happen to know about it. If you did need to worry about it there was nothing you could do about it.

      --
      All rites reversed 2010
    7. Re:start worrying? by sjwt · · Score: 1

      I believe the answer to the previous post, was not to worry, and I would hazard a guess that this flair is a result of the ''hole'' and is covered by the same answer.

      --
      You have 5 Moderator Points!
      Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
    8. Re:start worrying? by confused+one · · Score: 1

      worry? There's no point in worrying. If the Sun ever did something that could require worry, there wouldn't be a damned thing you could do about it anyway.

    9. Re:start worrying? by daid303 · · Score: 1

      There is nothing you can do about it, so don't worry about it.

    10. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you on /. or digg? Do you want someone to hold your hand while you use google?

    11. Re:start worrying? by stealth_finger · · Score: 2

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not? Please let us know if we need to start worrying or not, just like in this post earlier on slashdot.

      DON'T PANIC!

      --
      Wanna buy a shirt?
      https://www.redbubble.com/people/stealthfinger/shop?asc=u
    12. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      WARNING: this site may contain other information than fear, hatred, tits and the weather forecast.
      Then again, it may not.
      Who knows?

    13. Re:start worrying? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Funny

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not?

      The best thing to do, is to monitor announcements from from your local authorities on radio and television . . . um, which will not be working, because they were trashed from the soft X-rays from the solar flare. OK, let's try again. Wait for the police car to drive by and give announcements over the patrol car's megaphone . . . which will also not work, because the car ignition and megaphone were fried by the X-rays, and the policeman is hiding in his cellar anyway, because only an idiot would go outside into a hail of X-rays.

      OK, just wrap yourself in tinfoil, and go outside at night and look for the aurora borealis or aurora australis, depending on which hemisphere you live in. The aurorae are much more impressive if you drop some acid before observing them. As a matter of fact, if the acid is good enough, you don't even need the aurorae to see funky lights.

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    14. Re:start worrying? by robthebloke · · Score: 1

      It tells us to go to the arctic circle, for you will see nice auroras there (in a couple of days time). A *REALLY* big one might cause problems, but we get a few days warning to prepare.....

    15. Re:start worrying? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

      Duh! It's a thermonuclear reactor! Of COURSE it is hellish dangerous! Why do you think it was built so far away?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    16. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I use a SSD, you insensitive clod!

    17. Re:start worrying? by dreamchaser · · Score: 3, Informative

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not?

      Please let us know if we need to start worrying or not, just like in this post earlier on slashdot.

      If a news outlet tells you that there is a massive thunderstorm coming do they have to spell out whether to take precautions or not? If an X-Class flare is sighted and they tell you that a massive CME is going to head our way, do you really have to have it spelled out? Besides, unless you are planning on building a Faraday cage what exactly can you do about it if we have a severe solar weather event? Backup data? You don't do that already?

      By the way spaceweather.com is your friend if you give a shit about such matters. You know, like how you might hear a blurb on the news about possible bit thunderstorms so you go to a weather site for more info?

      People are so lazy these days, wanting everything spoon fed to them.

    18. Re:start worrying? by c0lo · · Score: 1

      Unless you are using SSD as the main memory, it doesn't help for the case of unsaved-still-in-RAM source files.

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    19. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Saving often do hurt, you insensitive clod!

      (save when you need to, not every n minutes or whatnot)

    20. Re:start worrying? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There are outcomes between "sun comes up, sun goes down" and "Sun gives the Van Allen belt a good hard shove and everybody eats ionized death"...

      Solar behavior capable of knocking out a bunch of satellites, or affecting the power grid, is worrisome; but can be mitigated(or at least expected and then repaired) for various levels of nuisance and expense.

      If, for example, next week is going to be a especially terrible time to go into the wilderness with nothing but your trusty GPS and satellite phone, you can't do anything about what the sun is going to do to that infrastructure; but you can avoid relying on it...

    21. Re:start worrying? by louic · · Score: 1

      How is this informative if we do not know if we need to be worried or not?

      Given many of the comments, and the fact that my OP got modded interesting instead of funny, I have to conclude that there is much to worry about. But it is not the solar flare.

    22. Re:start worrying? by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      It was viewable as far south as Lansing MI Last night. This next one hopefully will push the northern lights as far south as that again.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    23. Re:start worrying? by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Funny

      And that is why you dont have any superpowers like the rest of us.

      I go out naked during Xray events while holding a TV antenna high in the air.... I can now get stains out of any carpet with my mind!

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    24. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is that www.spaceweather.com or just spaceweather.com?

    25. Re:start worrying? by SteveFoerster · · Score: 1

      Aurora Borealis: Imported from Detroit

      --
      Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
    26. Re:start worrying? by snspdaarf · · Score: 1

      Oldsmobile is gone, dude, get on with life.

      --
      Why, without your clothes, you're naked, Miss Dudley!
    27. Re:start worrying? by epiphani · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here's a bit more context.

      Sunspot 1158 is currently facing towards earth. This is not terribly uncommon - but X series flares are relatively rare. This is the strongest flare in the last four years. What is notable about this event is that it's an X series flare AND its pointed straight at us. It's not in the top ten (X9.0 is the bottom of the top ten, and its a logarithmic scale) of what we've observed, BUT it is the strongest flare in modern history that has been pointed straight at us.

      The CME will arrive in 24-48 hours. What the effects of the geomagnetic storm we're about to get will actually be, nobody's completely sure. The most likely case is a K7 or K8 geomagnetic storm. See this scale - and expect G3 or G4.

      Realistically, this will mean some power utilities are paying very close attention to their systems and having to tweak things. HAMs will definitely notice it, and cell phones may have some issues (not that you'd notice much).

      In summary, if you're anywhere north of 45 or 50 degrees lat and have some clear skies, get outside tonight and tomorrow night. Should be a good show.

      --
      .
    28. Re:start worrying? by Wolfling1 · · Score: 1

      Whilst there is little to worry about with this flare, it is a great opportunity to remind those folks who are not tech-savvy about backups.

      A little bit of media induced madness is just the catalyst to get your customers off their loathsome spotty behinds, and backing up their mission critical data.

      For us, it was a timely reminder to check that our offsite backups were current, and that they were being stored in a Faraday cage. They were. Its a nice feeling.

    29. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Crap, At what time. I live closer to the State border with Ohio. I checked several times last night (admittedly for only maybe 10-15 minutes at a time) and saw nothing, Just a stupid UFO (probably just a very slow moving large plane moving straight at or away from me, but from my viewpoint it hung in exactly the same place for well over 10 minutes, and its running lights seemed especially bright with no distinguishable strobe light)

    30. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Details on the scales NOAA uses are here: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/
      This one was category scale:R3 descriptor:Strong:
      Effect: HF Radio: Wide area blackout of HF radio communication, loss of radio contact for about an hour on sunlit side of Earth. Navigation: Low-frequency navigation signals degraded for about an hour.
      Physical measure: X1 (10-4)
      Average frequency of occurrence (1 cycle=11 years): 175 per cycle
      (140 days per cycle)

      If you want alert emails when these events happen: https://pss.swpc.noaa.gov/LoginWebForm.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fproductsubscriptionservice%2fMainMenuWebForm.aspx
      (Registration Required)

    31. Re:start worrying? by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      That's NOTHING!

      I can get the stains out of my underwear.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    32. Re:start worrying? by confused+one · · Score: 1

      Agreed. I would call that prudent (and I always carry a map). I was taking "worry" to be something more along the line of an excessive emotional response to an imagined or unavoidable threat.

    33. Re:start worrying? by geekoid · · Score: 1

      " If an X-Class flare is sighted and they tell you that a massive CME is going to head our way, do you really have to have it spelled out?"

      yes, because people don't hear about that very often and don't know what it means.
      People are in thunderstorms much more frequently.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    34. Re:start worrying? by Xaedalus · · Score: 1

      And I can put the stains back in your underwear...

      --
      Here's to hot beer, cold women, and Glaswegian kisses for all.
    35. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... BUT it is the strongest flare in modern history that has been pointed straight at us.

      I've seen this from several sources, but I don't think it's true. This is an X2, but in July 2000 an X5 class flare hit us directly. Google "Bastille Day Event" for information.

    36. Re:start worrying? by Peristaltic · · Score: 2

      I wonder if it will be a problem for the folks on the ISS.

    37. Re:start worrying? by Phaedrus420 · · Score: 1

      Or "find a helmet."

      --
      And what is good, Phaedrus, And what is not good... Need we ask anyone to tell us these things?
    38. Re:start worrying? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What year is it right now??

    39. Re:start worrying? by ultranova · · Score: 2

      Duh! It's a thermonuclear reactor! Of COURSE it is hellish dangerous! Why do you think it was built so far away?

      Technically speaking, it's a gravitationally contained nuclear explosion, and the containment has just suffered a partial failure.

      --

      Forget magic. Any technology distinguishable from divine power is insufficiently advanced.

    40. Re:start worrying? by vlueboy · · Score: 1

      For the majority of us latitude isn't in that 45-50 deg range. It seems Auroramax offers live aurora streaming from one of those frigid locations in Canada. Search engine results don't seem too encouraging on variety for this, though.

    41. Re:start worrying? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Typical. If it happens in the Sun, nobody on earth cares, but if something like that happened on earth, the SUN would be all over it!

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Oracle by sakdoctor · · Score: 3, Funny

    I did think Oracle for a second, but I quickly progressed to worrying if my computers could withstand a

    1. Re:Oracle by organgtool · · Score: 1

      I did think Oracle for a second, but I quickly progressed to worrying if my computers could withstand a

      ... an Oracle product?

  5. Somebody in Canada, St Petersburg or South Pole... by c0lo · · Score: 1
    ... please let us know about auroras when the time will come.

    Meantime, make sure the UPS-es are good, save often and.. send the files to wikileaks by DVD (can't do anything else anyway, somebody took their submission system).

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  6. No sir by acehole · · Score: 1

    You don't have to be particularly bright to produce a lens flare. Just use it in moderation.

    --
    Be you Admins? nay, we are but lusers!
    1. Re:No sir by TheLink · · Score: 1

      Is it a lens flare? It looks like a sensor overload.

      --
    2. Re:No sir by Majik+Sheff · · Score: 1

      This is why I read down before I reply. You beat me to it. From the full image height spike and what appear to be after-images at regular intervals I would say you are dead on. The CCD went WAY beyond saturation for that moment. Not a lens flare, but still very impressive.

      Fairly informative article on the subject here:
      http://learn.hamamatsu.com/articles/ccdsatandblooming.html

      --
      Women are like electronics: you don't know how damaged they are until you try to turn them on.
  7. Lens flares by ThunderBird89 · · Score: 2

    An explosion on the Sun that produces a lens flare. On the Sun. Now that's something...

    --
    Hyperbole: I use it liberally!
    1. Re:Lens flares by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yo, Dawg, I heard you like lens flares...

  8. Consequences? by mr100percent · · Score: 1

    Should we be concerned about upcoming interference?

    1. Re:Consequences? by c0lo · · Score: 1

      Should we be concerned about upcoming interference?

      Don't put yourself in a situation you'd depend on your mobile.
      Save your source-code often. Check your UPS-es and increase the frequency of backups
      If still have spare time, look for auroras - if not being closer to the poles, it'll be wasted time, unless you actually see one (but if you see one far from the poles, it certainly spell big troubles).

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  9. EOTD server update by dutchwhizzman · · Score: 1

    So it's not a new M class server with 24 CPUs/Cores? Meh, time to change the EOTD-server to "solar flares" again then.

    --
    I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?
  10. From NOAA.gov website by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 2

    "... the largest xray solar flare in over a year..."

    So we shouldn't be heading for the nuke shelter's then, as we're still all here after last year's "largest xray solar flare in over $meaninglesslysmalltime..."

    Ok, so this is going to make pretty lights up at the pole, but the whole EMP-esque electrical Armageddon nuance is little over-hyped, don't you think?

    --
    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
    1. Re:From NOAA.gov website by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

      but it's the largest one pointed directly at us in the modern era of electronics.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  11. Lens flare? by atomicthumbs · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That's not a lens flare, that's a CCD artifact caused by the intensity of the light (X-rays, in this case) saturating the CCD sensor, and leaving that column saturated as it's moved across the sensor to be read out.
    Read up.

    --
    http://pinopsida.com
    1. Re:Lens flare? by cvtan · · Score: 1

      Agree this is not a lens flare in the usual sense and is a CCD artifact. If this were a saturated set of columns the artifact (vertical stripe) would be as bright as the central spot which it is not. If this sensor is of the interline type (not likely), then it would be termed "smear". If it is a full-frame device, then it would be an afterimage effect (image retention). Charge is stuck in traps which have a slow release time and bleeds out during the frame readout.

      --
      Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
    2. Re:Lens flare? by oneiros27 · · Score: 1

      I'm guessing the abnormal artifact is from the fact that SAM (aka MEGS-SAM) isn't a typical telescope -- it's a pinhole camera that exposes one section of the MEGS-A CCD on SDO/EVE.

      See: http://lasp.colorado.edu/eve/instrument/eve_megs.htm

      --
      Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
    3. Re:Lens flare? by Seedy2 · · Score: 1

      Right, and what exactly acts as a lens for X-rays again?

      And would a "lens flare" for an x-ray lens be an actual ignition of material? :)

      --
      Nothing to say here... move along
  12. The sun, jealous at the moon,... by TheMidget · · Score: 2
    ... has started farting at us!

    Now, how will the moon react against this blatant trademark infringment?

    Farts... now available also where the sun does shine...

    1. Re:The sun, jealous at the moon,... by wooferhound · · Score: 1

      "I fart in your general direction"

      --
      We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
  13. Sense of scale by Ceriel+Nosforit · · Score: 2

    It a bubble popping. Not an explosion.

    Also light takes longer to go from the center of the sun to its surface than from the surface to the Earth. - Just cause you didn't know.

    --
    All rites reversed 2010
    1. Re:Sense of scale by toetagger · · Score: 1

      How does light travel through the sun? Is it transparent?

    2. Re:Sense of scale by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Anything is at least partially transparent, if your light source is bright enough.

    3. Re:Sense of scale by AlecC · · Score: 1

      No. Energy created at the centre of the sun is absorbed and re-emitted many times before reaching the surface. Which is why it takes thousands of years to make the trip.

      It is, however, transparent to neutrinos, which zip straight out

      --
      Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
  14. When? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So when will it hit the earth?

    1. Re:When? by stjobe · · Score: 1

      From TFA: "Lookout for auroras in the next couple of days."

      --
      "Total destruction the only solution" - Bob Marley
    2. Re:When? by wooferhound · · Score: 1

      >> From TFA: "Lookout for auroras in the next couple of days."

      So, when is that ?

      --
      We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
  15. Don't you mean . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "Oracle Produces First Cycle 24 X-Class Solar Flare"?

  16. Epic fart by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, that's the most massive thermal fart ever recorded! Too bad Guiness officials weren't there to witness it, though.

  17. Spaceweather by Xelios · · Score: 1

    For anyone who doesn't already know about it, I'm sure there will be spectacular pictures of the auroras on SpaceWeather as the CME hits us over the next couple of days.

    --
    Murphey's fighting Occam, and we're in the stands.
  18. Probably not by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Large disruptions in the sun's magnetic field can cause huge damage to satellites and power distribution. AFAICT, this flare isn't one of those. It does seem, however, to be one of the biggest of its type in the last hundred years. Most of its spectacular effect seems to be in the visible to x-ray region.

    On the other hand, some of the people who pay attention to such things are hoping to see some spectacular auroras.

  19. Hits Earth?! by macraig · · Score: 1

    You mean the magnetosphere is GONE?! Time to break out the tinfoil body suit and air out the bomb shelter....

  20. Lens flare? by atomicthumbs · · Score: 1

    That's not a lens flare, it's vertical smear caused by the saturated pixels on the CCD saturating the entire column as they're read out.
    Read up.

    --
    http://pinopsida.com
  21. I for one... by cosmicaug · · Score: 1

    I for one welcome our new coronal mass ejecting overlords.

  22. Cycle 24 X-Class Solar Flare? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cool server name!

  23. Biggest flares since the 70's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No no no no yes, it's good news! X class solar flares are also vigorous in the ultraviolet, UV heats the ozone layer, a warmer ozone layer means a faster, less meandering jet stream - and that means - a barbecue summer!!! Woo hoo!! I mean, it's obvious, init?

    1. Re:Biggest flares since the 70's by c0lo · · Score: 1

      No no no no yes, it's good news! X class solar flares are also vigorous in the ultraviolet, UV heats the ozone layer, a warmer ozone layer means a faster, less meandering jet stream - and that means - a barbecue summer!!! Woo hoo!! I mean, it's obvious, init?

      Hurricanes/cyclones?

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  24. All joking aside... by ATestR · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The significance of this solar flare is not that it could or will be a danger to Earth... it is that is a sign that the sun is waking back up. Anyone who has been watching for long can tell you that there haven't been any significant sun spots for quite a while. It is possible that this is the reason behind some of the cold weather that the northern hemisphere has been experiencing this winter.

    --
    âoeAny society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
    1. Re:All joking aside... by locofungus · · Score: 1

      It is possible that this is the reason behind some of the cold weather that the northern hemisphere has been experiencing this winter.

      Anecdote but I'd not say that this winter has been cold. Other than a couple of weeks in December it's been remarkably warm in London.

      I cycle to work. In the summer I wear a t-shirt. Autumn and spring I also put on a thin nylon reflective cape (mainly due to riding in the dark rather than for warmth). Winter (mid-late Nov through to some time in March) I usually need to wear an extra layer but this year I'm still in my "autumn" attire and it's only been those couple of weeks in December where I've put on an extra layer.

      Tim.

      --
      God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = -@B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t," and there was light.
    2. Re:All joking aside... by dachshund · · Score: 1

      It is possible that this is the reason behind some of the cold weather that the northern hemisphere has been experiencing this winter.

      The thing is, the northern hemisphere /hasn't/ been all that cold --- just parts of it. For example, the arctic is experiencing record warm temperatures:

      http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/02/record-low-arctic-sea-ice-in-january/1

    3. Re:All joking aside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Midwest US: Below normal since December? Record snow in Chicago?
      NE US: Blizzard after Blizzard after Blizzard?
      Texas: Ice storms/snow in EXTREME SOUTH TEXAS?
      MS/AL/LA: Snow several times this winter?
      OK: double digits on the wrong side of 0F?
      Mexico: Crop failures due to freeze?
      Maybe it's fine over there, but it's dang COLD over here!!!!!

    4. Re:All joking aside... by Tim+C · · Score: 1

      To be fair, those couple of weeks were fucking freezing. (It's not exactly tropical out there right now, either)

      --
      It's official. Most of you are morons.
    5. Re:All joking aside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the record hot summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?

    6. Re:All joking aside... by eatfrog · · Score: 1

      It's -32C here. I'd say its pretty damn cold. It's been really cold for a few weeks now, and it's supposed to continue. (Northern part of Sweden)

    7. Re:All joking aside... by Fractal+Dice · · Score: 1

      Some of US has experienced periods of a Canadian winter, but my impression is that in areas that are normally north of the jet stream that marks the stormy boundary of the northern and southern air masses, it's been a pretty normal winter, even a mild one. It would be interesting to see temperature data mapped over the whole northern hemisphere because my impression is that the arctic air mass behaves a bit like a toupee on the globe - sliding the boundary south on one side tends to mean it's sliding north on the other.

    8. Re:All joking aside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or it could be THE WINTER.

      I haven't had snow on the ground this long since the 80's

    9. Re:All joking aside... by Xyrus · · Score: 1

      Not really. Solar irradiance varies only by a fraction of a percent percentage between maxes and mins.

      The primary driver for the cold weather was the abnormal weather patterns and abnormally strong negative NAO. A negative NAO weakens the polar vortex and allows cold arctic air to spill southward. Warmer air ends up hanging out over the arctic.

      So while some areas had some cold blasts, areas like Greenland and Eastern Canada had some balmy temps approach 40 F above normal.

      --
      ~X~
    10. Re:All joking aside... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry about being so vaige but I recall reading from some reputible websource that there is some thought about how the reducton in ionised radiation in the upper atmosphere during solar minimums (like the one just ending) causes the jet streams to shift to lower latitudes; which in turn has well modeled outcomes matching your (mid latitude, Northern hemisphere) rescent weather patterns.

    11. Re:All joking aside... by cekander · · Score: 1

      Warming back up? Are you suggesting the sun will warm up, on the whole, and provide more energy to earth? Where can I read more about this?

      Also, I'm curious to hear your opinion on energy and consciousness. In my limited knowledge, it seems plausible that conscious activity has an affect on the Qi of the sun.

  25. Class M by rpillala · · Score: 1

    Doesn't that mean it's habitable?

    --
    When the axe came to the forest, the trees said, "Look out - the handle was once one of us."
    1. Re:Class M by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Glad I wasn't the only one thinking this. Engage.

  26. Re:Seo Services India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Have you done the needful yet? Please give updation.

  27. So you're saying the sun isn't a cause? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So you're saying the sun isn't a cause of warming on the earth??!?!

    My god, you deniers will deny ANYTHING to make yourself feel good, won't you.

  28. Re:Seo Services India by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    dats waisist!!1!1

  29. sun and oracle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    the sunspot group 1158 has done remarkable work producing the first cpu prototype codenamed "solar flare". seems oracles acquisition of sun finally pays off... :-)

  30. F--- Me by multipartmixed · · Score: 1

    It's 07:23, I've been up for about ten minutes, and I look at the Slashdot front page, trying to decipher the headline describing wonderful new hardware from one of my favourite companies.

    Then I realized they don't exist any more and this is just about a big ball of gas.

    Thanks, Slashdot, my day's off to a *great* start.

    --

    Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
  31. Small fizzle, but solar cycle 24 is interesting. by velocirupture · · Score: 1

    It's just an X2.2 R3 "event". Which means, in worst case: "HF Radio: Wide area blackout of HF radio communication, loss of radio contact for about an hour on sunlit side of Earth." "Navigation: Low-frequency navigation signals degraded for about an hour." In 2003 there was a solar flare at X28++ ... don't think anyone remembers that. It might however be somewhat interesting for people following cycle 24, with all the sunspot magnetic fields progressively getting weaker and all... http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php/111142-Solar-Cycle-24-Update

  32. What a coincidence. by durrr · · Score: 1

    My integrated soundcard went dead just this morning. I blame the sun.

    1. Re:What a coincidence. by ArmchairGeneral · · Score: 1

      Interesting, my car had some trouble starting this morning, if it weren't so cold I could have popped the hood and checked out to see what the problem was. I blame the sun too.

    2. Re:What a coincidence. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I had trouble pooping this morning. I blame the sun.

    3. Re:What a coincidence. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Funny

      Eh, that's just one of the audiophile wet-ops teams. After a few thousand rounds of being mocked about $600 ethernet cables and $2,000/meter silver IEC cables, some of the tighter wound ones go rogue and start striking back at the uncaring world that will never understand or accept them.

      In addition to the onboard sound(an unforgivable aural insult), you may find that your system and backups have been selectively purged of all lossy-compressed media. In especially severe cases, all audio may be purged(it was only CD "quality" to begin with, and even lossless compression makes audio sound flat and lifeless. It has to do with jitter, you wouldn't understand.)

  33. Sun? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You mean "Oracle Produces First Cycle 24 X-Class Solar Flare"... Fixed for you.

  34. It doesn't have to be transparent. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It doesn't have to be transparent. It just has to let light out. Doesn't have to be the exact same photon any more than your descendent has to be the exact same person as you for your legacy to live on.

  35. Everybody join in by s122604 · · Score: 1

    The assclown carnival begins on 27.025MHZ, world-wide baby!!!

    1. Re:Everybody join in by captaindynamo · · Score: 1

      Thats funny. I actually keep a radio on channel 6 with the squelch up most of the time. When I hear indecipherable ramblings and clashing AM carriers i turn it off and start scanning the upper HF bands.

  36. i'll be ok by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    i only use monster brand digital AV cables. the best buy salesman assured me they were designed specifically to resist x-class solar flares

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  37. Might explain radio reception this morning... by scharkalvin · · Score: 1

    Local FM station was being drowned out by neighboring stations bleeding over. Might be related to the solar activity, or maybe some stations just switched on IBOC transmitters.

  38. Crosshairs by khr · · Score: 1

    The MSN article's headline is a lot more dramatic, "Earth in 'crosshairs' of solar explosion". Makes it sound like a disaster waiting to happen... Fortunately the article isn't as bad.

  39. It took me even longer by puddles · · Score: 1

    since I thought "flare" was another marketing buzzword, used to organize classes of multicore server offerings. "24 cores!" I thought ... it took me until the word "observatory" to realize they're talking about our Sun, not Oracle's.

  40. wait, it's not 2012 yet... by Thud457 · · Score: 2

    but when they do, they'll ruin that, too!

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

    1. Re:wait, it's not 2012 yet... by mug+funky · · Score: 1

      since the beginning of time, man has yearned to destroy the sun!

  41. OMG! OMG! by Pf0tzenpfritz · · Score: 1

    So we really are doomed! I knew it when I read that story yesterday..

    --
    Oh, the beautiful gloss of greality!
  42. tagging policy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My understanding is that this article was tagged 'sol' to distinguish it from articles on the technology company Sun. However, Sun policy now requires us to tag all articles related to that company with the tag 'java', whether related to the Java programming language or not. Therefore, please feel free to use the tag 'sun' for the huge hot body at the center of our solar system. HTH.

  43. Follow this on spaceweather.com by AbrasiveCat · · Score: 2

    I use spaceweather.com to follow solar flares. There is also an explanation of flare intensity at http://spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html. This is all I'll get, the rain has moved back to the pacific northwest, we will not even know if the sun is out. :(

  44. Is it just me... by GodfatherofSoul · · Score: 1

    ...or is every news site on the web turning into Chicken Little doom forecasters to whore for clicks? Wake me up when the armada is in low-earth orbit.

    --
    I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
  45. X-Class by mswhippingboy · · Score: 1

    I want to believe!

    --
    Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train.
  46. Re:Small fizzle, but solar cycle 24 is interesting by rubycodez · · Score: 1

    Sad news indeed for the remaining dozen ham Elmers still doing HF

  47. We are insignificant... by Kildjean · · Score: 2

    I was just thinking how in our planet we go to war, have incompetent governments, Steve Jobs is an asshole, Bill Gates is fucking Melinda somewhere, AMD is on sale, Intel is #1, your mom is that easy and chuck norris is that cool.

    But if the sun burped we would be toast and the world would end in a blink. ...yeah... be happy

    --
    Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d encule de ta mere.
  48. Figures... by rnturn · · Score: 3

    The local forecast from NOAA says that it's going to get cloudy by tomorrow night and stay that way for several days. No aurora viewing for us it seems. Another typical weather forecast obscuring yet another astronomical event for folks in the Chicago area. I suppose we should all consider ourselves lucky we were able to see the aurora incident several years ago. It may be years before we get the chance again.

    --
    CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M