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Solar Eruption Triggers Strongest Radiation Storm
ForgedArtificer writes "A recent eruption on the sun will be exposing Earth to the strongest radiation storm seen since 2005. [The storm] will potentially disrupt communications and put high-flyers at risk of radiation exposure." Says Spaceweather.com: "On the NOAA scale of radiation storms, this one ranks S3, which means it could, e.g., cause isolated reboots of computers onboard Earth-orbiting satellites and interfere with polar radio communications." According to the Christian Science Monitor, "NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch, and the agency's deputy, Kathy Sullivan, said that polar flights are expected to be re-routed."
...it begins... =)
This is my big chance to gain my super powers and become the evil genius I've always wanted to be.
I suppose the people in the ISS qualify as "high flyers", but NASA says that will be no risk for them
Are you posting from the polar region?
I know its been done before, but that has never stopped Hollywood...
âoeAny society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
We'll be able to more clearly see a disk, a black flap, and a scorpion.
I will be disappointed if Randall Munroe does not address Solar Radiation panic in his forthcoming comic (links to main page).
I personally am ready to drive a limo at high through a collapsing building for my own survival.
If you think that all forms of radiation from the sun are absorbed by the atmosphere before they reach human beings on the surface, it must be very dark where you are. And cold.
Lethal UV radiation reaches us all the time...oh okay, I am dutch, 3 days of the year. Which is celebrated by exposing as much of our skins as is legal to it till it cries out in terror and reacts violently to the radiation.
Humans eh. no wonder we still haven't discovered slood.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Arrrghhh - oh wait since 2005?
Goes back to sleep.
Headline: Solar Eruption Triggers Strongest Radiation Storm
Oh wait... from the summary
A recent eruption on the sun will be exposing Earth to the strongest radiation storm seen since 2005.
...since 2005.
Nice tabloiding, Slashdot.
Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, and stupid comments are intentional.
...we will be rerouting flights through airports that don't xray passengers...
Now we'll be able to make microwave popcorn without the microwave!
HF, VHF, UHF, SHF, or where, in [the radio portion of] the Electromagnetic Spectrum?
Maybe: All of the above?
No, it's not. We literally have another storm within the same few days.
For large sets, this will be our guide even unto death, for the LORD will work for each type of data it is applied to...
"Knowing"
Here's what the PJM Control Center (which controls the electricity grid for the Northeastern US) has to say:
74015 Solar Magnetic Disturbance Warning 01/23/2012
17:55 PJM - RTO As of 17:50 hours, an SMD warning of K-indices of 6-9 possible or greater is in effect beginning at 07:00 and will continue for the next 24-36 hours after arrival hours. PJM will issue any SMD events or extended warnings posted on the RCIS by MISO St. Paul via the PJM All-Call.
Additional Comments: NYISO has posted an RCIS message indicating expected intensity levels of K6 - K9, however, NOAA has only issued an alert of level K4. PJM will continue to monitor NOAA's alerts and update as necessary.
So PJM is aware of the problem, but they're not seeing any effects yet, and they haven't issued any contingency or emergency actions. The K scale is semi-logarithmic, and it's strange to see such a huge variation in predicted values. They can handle up to a K-7 without much problem, and a K-8 with preparation. A K-9 may cause real trouble.
Here's PJM's training presentation on solar storms. The basic effect is that DC voltages are induced into transmission lines, which causes resistive heating in transformers (worst case, melting them, as happened in 1989). Where trouble occurs is affected by geology and ground conduction, and the trouble areas are known. There are preventive steps that can be taken. It's an interesting read, although if you're totally unfamiliar with where electricity comes from, you may need to go to the PJM training site and read "PJM 101" first.