Sun Blasts Another CME At Earth and Mars

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Sun Blasts Another CME At Earth and Mars

Posted by Soulskill on Monday January 23, 2012 @04:22PM from the careful-you-could-put-an-eye-out dept.

astroengine writes "On Friday, the sun hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) at our planet that sparked a strong geomagnetic storm and beautiful aurorae at high latitudes. Late on Sunday (EST), the sun unleashed yet another Earth-bound CME after an M9 flare erupted over a particularly active sunspot region — the CME is expected to hit Earth on Tuesday and Mars on Wednesday. This series of flares and CMEs have ignited the strongest period of solar storms since 2005, according to an NOAA space weather advisory."

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Correction by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 16:24 · Score: 5, Funny

I think you mean "Oracle Blasts Another CME At Earth and Mars"
1. Re:Correction by anagama · 2012-01-23 18:30 · Score: 0
  
  Not offtopic -- whoever modded that offtopic needs to go to the dump and dig up a sense of humor, because even a trashed used up one would be better than what they've got.
  
  --
  What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
Ra is pissed by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 16:31 · Score: 3, Funny

Somebody better sacrifice a goat or some shit
1. Re:Ra is pissed by Lotana · 2012-01-23 21:12 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Why is it always a goat?
  I am curious about the origin of the sacrificial goat expression. Whenever there is any talk of non-human sacrifice it is this particular animal that is immediately brought up. Is it because goats are more commonly available? Why not cows? If I remember correctly, the bible mentions male sheep as the sacrifices used. So where did the goat originate from?
  I know that if I was a god, I would prefer something more exotic and harder to obtain in order for my followers to prove their devotion. Farm animals and humans are so easily obtained that it would be boring and routine. For my sacrifices I would require something rare like an albino tiger or dangerous to obtain like young, fully grown elephant. My blessings are not cheap!
2. Re:Ra is pissed by Canazza · 2012-01-23 23:22 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Leviticus 16:15 "He shall then slaughter the goat for the sin offering for the people"
  and Leviticus 16:20-22 (Origin of the "Scape goat")
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
3. Re:Ra is pissed by JoeMerchant · 2012-01-24 00:57 · Score: 1
  
  Why is it always a goat?
  I am curious about the origin of the sacrificial goat expression. Whenever there is any talk of non-human sacrifice it is this particular animal that is immediately brought up. Is it because goats are more commonly available? Why not cows? If I remember correctly, the bible mentions male sheep as the sacrifices used. So where did the goat originate from?
  I know that if I was a god, I would prefer something more exotic and harder to obtain in order for my followers to prove their devotion. Farm animals and humans are so easily obtained that it would be boring and routine. For my sacrifices I would require something rare like an albino tiger or dangerous to obtain like young, fully grown elephant. My blessings are not cheap!
  Today we just donate money... goats were handy.
4. Re:Ra is pissed by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2012-01-24 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  How about your one and only son - a one of a kind human God hybrid the only one to ever be born of a virgin - would that be rare enough? He's fully your son, so everyone trying to kill him could be subject to either his or your wrath in an second.
  
  --
  Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
5. Re:Ra is pissed by mcgrew · 2012-01-24 03:52 · Score: 1
  
  I know that if I was a god, I would prefer something more exotic and harder to obtain in order for my followers to prove their devotion.
  If I were a god why would I need them to prove their devotion? I should already know! Unless, of course, there's something about being a god that I don't understand (and understanding that would be harder than a housefly understanding me).
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
6. Re:Ra is pissed by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · 2012-01-24 08:40 · Score: 1
  
  Not every god, is all powerful like the Judeo-Christian God. The greek/romans/norse all had domain over some part of the world, but not everything. If I were the sun god, I'd want people to devote themselves to me, rather than the stupid rain god, tree god, or god of ugly t-shirts.
  
  --
  Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
First Arctic fresh water, now this by Gothmolly · 2012-01-23 16:34 · Score: 0, Offtopic

What I want to know is how the increase in Arctic freshwater caused a CME. After all, it did come first. That's how it works, right?

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1. Re:First Arctic fresh water, now this by hcs_$reboot · 2012-01-23 17:54 · Score: 1, Insightful
  
  Only on Slashdot does an AC get modded Informative for pointing out that the LHC is in Europe.
  Well, at least American know roughly where is Europe. Imagine, if it would have pointed out that the LHC is at the frontier France+Swiss...
  --
  I solely acknowledge that this post smells like "off topic"
  
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Strongest period of storms... by pie21 · 2012-01-23 16:34 · Score: 5, Funny

This series of flares and CMEs have ignited the strongest period of solar storms since 2005, according to an NOAA space weather advisory.
Sounds like pretty clear evidence of solar warming to me.
1. Re:Strongest period of storms... by youn · 2012-01-23 17:31 · Score: 1
  
  or mega-global warming.... that goes beyond planet earth :)
  
  --
  Never antropomorphize computers, they do not like that :p
2. Re:Strongest period of storms... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 23:24 · Score: 0
  
  In fact, Mars was warming at the same time earth was.
  Good luck getting the mass media to even ask the question. No taxes can be extracted from the truth.
No-one told the Sun did they. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 16:41 · Score: 0

Flares are soooo 1970s
I thought... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 16:50 · Score: 0

They were bought up by Oracle already!
Not Surprising by wbr1 · 2012-01-23 16:54 · Score: 3, Funny

It's 2012 baby. The end is nigh!

--
Silence is a state of mime.
1. Re:Not Surprising by Robert+Zenz · 2012-01-23 23:57 · Score: 1
  
  It would suck if the world would end this year...not because then we'll all die or something like that...but because the last thing we'd hear is a bunch of dumbasses screaming "WE WERE RIGHT!".
2. Re:Not Surprising by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:57 · Score: 0
  
  that is how they make these headlines out to be, and i very much dislike the sensationalist headlines. yes, its cool, i like the warning of the aurora so i could see them, however, unless this is satelite-smashing, telegraph powering levels, it doesnt need to be labeled as "sun blasts...."
Sun? by singingjim1 · 2012-01-23 16:54 · Score: 1, Funny

Microsystems? It's flaring back up again? Nice! But I thought is was the Blade, not the Flare. Cool, new product!
Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by Terminaldogma · 2012-01-23 16:56 · Score: 5, Interesting

I keep hearing how CMEs can cause interference with electronics such as GPS, satellites, etc., but does anyone have an example where one caused noticeable impact? I fully believe the theory, I'm just wondering if there's an example of it being put into practice.
1. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by uptownguy · 2012-01-23 17:04 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  but does anyone have an example where one caused noticeable impact?
  You mean noticeable like this or perhaps like this?
  
  --
  
  I would have to say that explosives are the most abused technology in all of history.
2. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by CRC'99 · 2012-01-23 18:00 · Score: 1
  
  I wonder how this will affect radio propagation... From the brief bits that I learnt many years ago, a charged atmosphere reflects HF radio much better making low powered communications across the globe possible.
  Someone who understands more about this than I do able to enlighten me a little?
  
  --
  Sendmail is like emacs: A nice operating system, but missing an editor and a MTA.
3. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by mpoulton · 2012-01-23 19:12 · Score: 1
  
  CMEs always drastically affect long-distance radio communications, especially in modes that rely on upper atmospheric characteristics (skip and ducting). It's not subtle at all. Anyone who woks with radio in a technical capacity has to cope with it. It's just that most commercial services are designed and operated in ways that keep end users from having to deal with these effects.
  
  --
  I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
4. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by Mal-2 · 2012-01-23 21:03 · Score: 2
  
  Speaking with a HAM (I currently live with one), he said even the smaller flare from a couple days ago was creating highly unusual conditions that made DXing far easier in the 6 meter band than is ordinarily the case. Guys with modest 100 watt transmitters in California were being heard in New Zealand, and vice versa. If you've ever wanted to add countries to your DX contact list, this might be just the time to do it!
  
  --
  How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
5. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by BlackPignouf · 2012-01-23 21:43 · Score: 1
  
  Aurorae were seen around the world, most notably over the Caribbean; also noteworthy were those over the Rocky Mountains that were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.
  Holy crap. I'd love to see Aurorae without having to fly to Canada/Norway in winter.
6. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by XrayJunkie · 2012-01-23 22:29 · Score: 1
  
  TY for the info. Solar storm of 1859 - guess they had no probs with the GPS ;-)
7. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 23:37 · Score: 0
  
  In 1989, a solar storm caused a massive blackout in Quebec. It can also pull the northern lights further south. 1859 it caused telegragh lins to burn. Wake up and watch some science or do some reading. Now until 2013 the sun will be exploding and releasing energy like it has every 12 years, for billion of years.
8. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by History's+Coming+To · 2012-01-24 01:04 · Score: 1
  
  Nope, but the telegraph system went down. If you've not heard of the telegraph it was a long-range communication system which relied on long thin bits of wire, sort of like a series of tubes ;)
  
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  Please consider this account deleted, I just can't be bothered with the spam anymore.
9. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by s122604 · 2012-01-24 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  100 watts? When the ionosphere is going good you don't even need that much..
  
  I've talked NY to Arizona on a crappy 20w ssb rig on antenna that was just a mag mount CB antenna that I didn't even bother to retune for 10 meters.
  
  The guys doing modes like PSK31 and CW can talk around the world on a couple D cell batteries.
10. Re:Has this ever caused noticeable interference? by ruheling · 2012-01-24 05:17 · Score: 1
  
  Plus, the National Research Council has a long and detailed report on Severe Space Weather Events. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/12507.html
Fifth Cycle... by idbeholda · 2012-01-23 16:57 · Score: 0

Earth deluged by fire... mayan calendar... panemonium ensues... satellite communication goes down for about a week. Nothing to really panic about.
1. Re:Fifth Cycle... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 17:00 · Score: 1
  
  Newt Gingrich might wind up in the White House.
2. Re:Fifth Cycle... by idbeholda · 2012-01-23 18:19 · Score: 2
  
  Not if the venusian scorpions have anything to say about it.
3. Re:Fifth Cycle... by ThePeices · 2012-01-23 21:57 · Score: 0
  
  U mad?
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by macraig · 2012-01-23 17:07 · Score: 1

Ummm, don't you mean anti-psychotics or muscle relaxants? I don't think depression causes road rage. Know your pharma, dude!
They rank these storms by Hadlock · 2012-01-23 17:09 · Score: 3, Informative

They have a designated ranking system for CME/EMP effects on earth. It goes from C or M all the way up to X5 I believe.

--
moox. for a new generation.
1. Re:They rank these storms by similar_name · 2012-01-23 18:00 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It goes from C or M all the way up to X5
  Is that better than 11?
2. Re:They rank these storms by oneiros27 · 2012-01-23 18:45 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  'ranking system for CME/EMP effects' ... 'all the way up to X5'?
  Wow. Well, what you're talking about is the 'Flare Class' which only classifies the amount of x-ray energy given off by a flare. It's a log scale, so M is 10x as large as a C, and X is 10x as large as an M. Of course, there's no cap on it, and there have been X20 flares recorded. Of course, the sensors saturate, and as we're only really dealing with one significant figure and a magnitude, I don't know how much precision they have at those higher values.
  To make things even more fun, there's also a flare 'importance' value, which is based on the energy and size of the flaring region in the optical (visible) spectrum.
  But neither of these classifications have to do with CMEs, and particularly not their affects at earth. For that, you'd need to look at the solar wind folks, who are obsessed with things like 'Bz' (z-component of the magnetic field', ie, how is it oriented relative to the earth's magnetic field?) and radio bursts.
  The closest thing that I can think of to what you describe would be a catalog of ICMEs (Interplanetary CMEs), but even those, if you look at the catalog, are just raw numbers, no sort of ranking to it. (the column with 'A' and 'B' in it are which of the two STEREO spacecraft saw the event, 'Ahead' or 'Behind')
  Disclaimer : I'm not a solar physicist, but I work in a solar data archive, and have done work trying to normalize solar event catalogs.
  
  --
  Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
3. Re:They rank these storms by Hadlock · 2012-01-23 18:54 · Score: 1
  
  Ah, fantastic, this was the response I was hoping for, and the reason I visit Slashdot. Any chance you could convert this post in to a (well linked) Wikipedia Article? I've dug around for similar information before, but I think the reason why articles always are so vauge about the CME's classifications are that reporters have so little information to research from, in particular Wikipedia.
  
  --
  moox. for a new generation.
4. Re:They rank these storms by oneiros27 · 2012-01-24 01:53 · Score: 1
  
  I think you missed the key point -- there's no fixed scale for CME, so why would you write an article on the lack of something?
  CMEs and flares are *not* the same thing -- the CME is an ejection of plasma from the sun, while a flare is energy only. You also have what are called 'SEP events' (Solar Energetic Particles), where they're measuring highly energetic particles in situ (in place vs. remote sensing like from telesopes) ... and I probably shouldn't say that there's no CME classification ... there are a few classifications that are based on the shape, which is a factor of the location of the observer. You'll often see CME catalogs list the CPA (central position angle, ie, what direction the CME left the sun) as 'halo', which just means that it came out of all sides from the point of view of that observation.
  If you want more info, try asking at The Sun Today, which is run by an actual solar physicist. (disclaimer: it's one of my co-workers)
  ps. the maximum flare class mistake has even been made by the people doing EPO (education & public outreach) for SDO ... I had to e-mail around after a facebook post said that the scale went up to X9 ... so even the 'professionals' (in this case, educators, not scientists) don't know the system that well.
  
  --
  Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
5. Re:They rank these storms by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:43 · Score: 0
  
  It goes from C or M all the way up to X5
  Is that better than 11?
  Bazinga!
6. Re:They rank these storms by mcgrew · 2012-01-24 07:56 · Score: 2
  
  Any chance you could convert this post in to a (well linked) Wikipedia Article?
  Why, so one of the on-staff editors can delete it or render it meaningless? Attempting to edit wikipedia is a fool's errand.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
Chinese Zodiac by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 17:14 · Score: 0

Its the year of the dragon my friends...get used to the fireworks. They bring good luck and crappy HF reception.
Fucking Sun by Greyfox · 2012-01-23 18:46 · Score: 0

I'm glad Oracle took them over!

--
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by Neil+Boekend · 2012-01-23 19:32 · Score: 1

We need to dump the world's supply of weed into it to calm it a bit.

--
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
Trouble by JavaBear · 2012-01-23 19:39 · Score: 1

You just KNOW it's bad, when the sun starts taking potshots at us.
1. Re:Trouble by EzInKy · 2012-01-23 20:51 · Score: 1
  
  Not really, she's just reaching out and licking her children.
  
  --
  Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
Does this mean a light show? by Trogre · 2012-01-23 19:45 · Score: 1

Will this lead to impressive Southern Lights visible from Australia?

--
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
Can we have our Articles back please? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 20:12 · Score: 0

THE Sun...
1. Re:Can we have our Articles back please? by LynnwoodRooster · 2012-01-24 07:44 · Score: 1
  
  THE Sun...
  Correct - the object in the sky with less mass than Larry's ego.
  
  --
  Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by macraig · 2012-01-23 20:36 · Score: 1

Uh-oh, we're gonna live to regret slashing all those pot farms in the national forests!
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by Neil+Boekend · 2012-01-23 21:02 · Score: 1

This is the Rastafari age! After they save the world, nobody is going to complain. The benefits already look good, so they'll gather folowers by the millions.

--
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by macraig · 2012-01-23 21:22 · Score: 1

Except... nobody will know they saved the world, because somebody else will be taking the credit for it.
Length by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-23 22:16 · Score: 0

Does anyone know how long it is going to last? Will it still be hitting the earth for days to come?
WTF /.? by teridon · 2012-01-23 23:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

45 comments, perhaps 3 of which that aren't jokes or AC trolls. /. used to be a place where science could be discussed intelligently...
I guess I'll spend my time at reddit r/askscience instead!
If you want to make your own high-res movies of these kinds of events, get JHelioviewer

--
I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
1. Re:WTF /.? by Curunir_wolf · 2012-01-24 02:44 · Score: 1
  
  45 comments, perhaps 3 of which that aren't jokes or AC trolls. /. used to be a place where science could be discussed intelligently...
  Really? When was that?
  Well, okay, could is probably true.
  
  --
  "Somebody has to do something. It's just incredibly pathetic it has to be us."
  --- Jerry Garcia
Too many Coronas by chaynlynk · 2012-01-24 01:15 · Score: 1

I sometimes have mass ejections as well if I drink too many Coronas. :D
Re:Somebody send the sun antidepressants :) by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-01-24 02:25 · Score: 2

Ummm, don't you mean anti-psychotics or muscle relaxants? I don't think depression causes road rage. Know your pharma, dude!
Whatever you prescribe to cure the Sun's mania, don't prescribe lithium, it won't work the way you probably expect. :)

--
Ezekiel 23:20
GPS failures by ruheling · 2012-01-24 05:13 · Score: 1

Might be a good time for most of the drivers around here to learn how to read maps
And I stand corrected ... by oneiros27 · 2012-01-24 08:12 · Score: 1
It seems that NOAA started classifying events from their Space Weather Prediction Center last cycle, but it's not considered of 'science quality' like the flare classifications, so the community I deal with doesn't care about them.
There are three scales, all from 1 to 5, prefixed by G for Geomagnetic Storms, S for Solar Radiation, and R for Radio Blackouts.
So, high R (eg, R4) would be 'GPS doesn't work', S would be 'could kill people in space' (or satellites), and G would be the stuff that could induce current into electrical systems.
So, to summarize:
- C, M, X : x-ray flare energy level (with numbers 1 to 9.9 for C&M, but no limit on X)
- F, N, B : h-alpha flare 'importance' (numbers going from 0 to 4)
- G, S, R : predicted impact at Earth (numbers 1 to 5)
And NOAA still has 17 letters left to come up with more confusing scales.
--
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.