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A Powerful Solar Storm Is Bringing Hazards and Rare Auroras Our Way (fastcompany.com)
tedlistens shares a report from Fast Company: The Space Weather Prediction Center has upgraded a geomagnetic storm watch for September 6 and 7 to a level only occasionally seen, but scientists say it's nothing to be too alarmed about. They do recommend looking for an unusual display of the aurora -- the northern lights caused by a disturbance of the magnetosphere -- in areas of the U.S. not used to seeing them: "really in the upper tier of the United States," says Robert Rutledge, lead of operations at the center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The storm could pose an "elevated radiation risk to passengers and crew in high-flying aircraft at far north or south latitudes," a NOAA warning says, and intermittently impact high frequency RF communications, which may require some transpolar flight routes to divert to lower geomagnetic latitudes (a shift that would cost the airlines more). There's a slim chance of isolated interfere with high-precision GPS readings, but those issues usually only tend to arise with stronger storms.
The so-called G3 level storm is the result of what's called a coronal mass ejection, where magnetic interactions on the sun launch part of its outer atmosphere of superheated plasma into space. When that burst of radiation gets near earth -- barreling toward us at a million miles per hour, it takes about two days to make the journey -- its magnetic field interacts with Earth's, Rutledge says. Northern U.S. and Canadian residents hoping to catch a glimpse of the aurora will get their best shot on Wednesday night and early Thursday, and the Space Weather Prediction Center posts 30-minute forecasts of the colorful sky phenomenon's intensity.
The so-called G3 level storm is the result of what's called a coronal mass ejection, where magnetic interactions on the sun launch part of its outer atmosphere of superheated plasma into space. When that burst of radiation gets near earth -- barreling toward us at a million miles per hour, it takes about two days to make the journey -- its magnetic field interacts with Earth's, Rutledge says. Northern U.S. and Canadian residents hoping to catch a glimpse of the aurora will get their best shot on Wednesday night and early Thursday, and the Space Weather Prediction Center posts 30-minute forecasts of the colorful sky phenomenon's intensity.
Every time I heard/read warnings of solar storms and their effects in the end it was kind of a non-event.
"By the way if anyone here is in advertising or marketing... kill yourself." -- Bill Hicks
. . . two major hurricanes, Lil' Kim threatening to deliver "gift packages", domestic unrest to the point of rioting in some places, and now this.
I halfway expect Godzilla to emerge from Tokyo Bay, at this rate (grin)
Because as best I can tell from the linked prediction animation, you need to be in Alaska to have a hope of seeing this, because all the other states are at least 4 degrees too far south.
And Canada doesn't have a hell of a lot of people living north of James Bay, either.
You'd also need to be away from big settlement so the light pollution doesn't completely over flood the auroras.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
hmm. Never mentioned Globull Wormening. Just noting that it's gotten unusually wierd out there, lately. . . .
My subject is just mass skepticism mixed with a bad science and forecasting model coupled with some sick conspiracy to get people who live in the Northern US to stay up until the wee hours again like we all did in July 2017! This is even more bleak than last time based on their description.
I will say: Why the heck is 'upper tier of the US' and 'areas of the US' even advertised in this article? That's garbage. Upper tier is Minnesota, North and some of South Dakota, Montana and anything else directly east and west of those and certainly not anymore south than Nebraska as best. Did geography change overnight? The only thing I see is Alaska and that's never been considered 'CONUS' last time I knew. I guess when the 'US' is said, I think CONUS --- we all know Hawaii and Alaska are part of the US but outlying.
Man, whoever is writing this Aurora news lately really wants to make a story out of it.
all stretched out now?
If you're scared of your govt then you need to further restrict its powers
Vote 3rd Party in 2016 and beyond
No, I did not.
#DeleteFacebook
You all fail.
- http://www.milkme.co.uk
I halfway expect Godzilla to emerge from Tokyo Bay, at this rate (grin)
Picturing a Nissan GTR being dragged up from Tokyo harbour.
Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
There have been two X class solar flares today, and the second was X9, which is the biggest of this solar cycle. So there may be more geomagnetic storms coming over the next few days.
Here in the Pacific Northwest. I had a thin layer of ash on my car again this morning.
Have gnu, will travel.
Trump should visit the Sun and tell it how great he is.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
This is correct; the moon is full and it'll be up all night in the USA. This will reduce the visibility of any aurora to your eye by interfering with your night vision (your pupils won't dilate enough), and when there's any particulate matter in the air (smoke, as the AC mentions, but also water vapor, etc.) this creates illumination in the atmosphere that further reduces your ability to see anything by creating a "bright sky."
There are auroras intense enough to get past all of this, but the odds against them are very high.
Your best bet is a combination of very dry, very clear air and a camera set to high ISO, aimed north. The odds for a human-eye visible aurora are very low this evening because of the above factors.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Between the Aurora and the eclipse we'll all be blinded. The Triffids will triumph.
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Actually it's more that it didn't happen in their backyard. Given that Texas is home to about 1 in 9 people of the USA, well, a lot of folks live in Texas or have friends and relatives who do. I daresay that to the folks in southeast Asia, hurricane harvey didn't mean a lot to them, either.
"Oh, nos! It's happening again! I'll lose productivity at work because of failures in all of my electronic equipment. My car won't start. I feel cancer developing in my brain right now. I can't use my oven at home!
The fact that I'm watching movies at work over my wireless provider connection is different because that isn't affected for some reason... and my air conditioning somehow still works. The fridge is fine. Those I can't explain, but everything else in my life is torn apart!!!
*posts to Facebook*"
I'm sorry, I had to. It's happened and I have to bring it to light. Ha. Light.
Trump should visit the Sun and push it aside to make it know how great he is.
I think your fingers slipped. I tidied it up a bit for ya. You're welcome.
Hmm, you mean to say Glowbull Worming?
Worming the bright Red Bull? What has it come to these days??