7 replies to this topic

[Nvyseal]

Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess after a major solar flare erupted overnight, threatening damage to communication systems and power grids.

"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably around midday Thursday, Joe Kunches, lead forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center, told Space.com Wednesday afternoon.

The storm is expected to generate aurorae or northern lights as far south as the northern United States on Thursday night. Astronauts aboard the international space station are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.

Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage, however.

Solar flares send radiation to Earth within minutes. Some are also accompanied by coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, clouds of charged particles that arrive in a day or two. This flare unleashed a strong CME that's aimed squarely at Earth.

"It's got all the right stuff," Kunches said.

However, one crucial component to the storm is unknown: its magnetic orientation. If it lines up a certain way with Earth's magnetic field, then the storm essentially pours into our upper atmosphere. If the alignment is otherwise, the storm can pass by the planet with fewer consequences.

Kunches and his team are advising satellite operators and power grid managers to keep an eye on their systems. In the past, CMEs have knocked out satellites and tripped terrestrial power grids. Engineers have learned to limit switching at electricity transfer stations, and satellite operators sometimes reduce operations or make back-up plans in case a craft is damaged.

MSNBC

[chriso_86]

Cool!!!! Funny you mention this, I can see the Northern Lights tonight!! Pretty far down south!!

[bluerip]

Get your tinfoil hats on!

[m.oreilly]

bluerip, on Dec 14 2006, 05:19 PM, said:

Get your tinfoil hats on!

[talker]

No need for a tinfoil hat here. My Radeon X1600 Pro will protect me...talker.


Here are some vids of the solar flare...T.

Attached Files

•  EarthboundC2.mpg   2.51MB   86 downloads
•  Earthbound195.mpg   800.94K   90 downloads

Edited by talker, 15 December 2006 - 04:54 AM.

[Linoman]

How cool? This sounds so much like a scene from a sci-fi movie. Wonder what the implications are?

[Nvyseal]

Our sunset looked erie tonight, dont know if its because of the cloud layer

[BlueScreenOfDeath]

the Aurora was only visable as low as the northern US ..u need to quit puffin that stuff Dave