Strong solar storm heading for Earth

[Deleted]

No we're not going to die

A strong geomagnetic storm is racing from the Sun toward Earth, and its expected arrival on Thursday could affect power grids, airplane routes and space-based satellite navigation systems, U.S. space weather experts said.

The storm, a big cloud of charged particles flung from the Sun at about 4.5 million miles per hour (7.2 million km per hour), was spawned by a pair of solar flares, scientists said.

This is probably the strongest such event in nearly six years, and is likely more intense than a similar storm in late January, said Joseph Kunches, a space weather specialist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This solar disturbance is a three-stage affair, or as Kunches said in a telephone interview from Boulder, Colorado: "We hit the trifecta."

These are the stages he described, with the first two already affecting Earth:

* First, two solar flares moving at nearly the speed of light reached Earth late on Tuesday. Such flares can cause radio blackouts.

* Then, solar radiation hit Earth's magnetic field on Wednesday, with possible impact on air traffic, especially near the poles, satellites and any astronauts taking space walks. This phase could last for days.

* Finally, the plasma cloud sent by the coronal mass ejection, which is basically a big chunk of the Sun's atmosphere, is expected to arrive at Earth early on Thursday.

This phase can disrupt power grids, satellites, oil pipelines and high-accuracy GPS systems used by oil drillers, surveyors and some agricultural operations, scientists said.

GPS systems used for less-refined functions, such as the turn-by-turn navigation found in many cars, should not be affected, according to NOAA's Doug Biesiecker.

Kunches said the geomagnetic component of the storm may arrive a bit ahead of schedule because it follows a previous storm that left the Sun on Sunday and is currently buffeting the Earth's magnetosphere.

"When you've already had one coronal mass ejection storm, sometimes the next coronal mass ejection storm is faster to get here," Kunches said.

These storms could produce some vivid auroras, according to experts. In the Northern Hemisphere, the aurora borealis could be visible at mid-latitudes, which in the United States could include New York, Illinois and Iowa.

Such stormy space weather is unusual in recent history, according to Harlan Spence, an astrophysicist at the University of New Hampshire who is principal investigator on the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

"These relatively large (solar) events, which we've had maybe a couple of handfuls total in the course of a decade, we've now had two or three of them, more or less right on top of each other," Spence said by telephone.

The Sun is on the ascendant phase of its 11-year cycle of solar activity, with the peak expected next year, scientists said.

"It's a clear harbinger that the Sun is waking up," Spence said. "We're trying to put this in context not only ... of what has the Sun done in the past, but what is the biggest thing the Sun is capable of and what should we be planning for in terms of extreme sorts of events in the future."

At about midnight, apparently, you'll be able to see the Northern Lights in the UK

[StayTuned]

Any lights in the northern part of the netherlands?

[Deleted]

At about midnight, apparently, you'll be able to see the Northern Lights in the UK

thats if there are no clouds in the sky. damn british weather. either way ill be going out for a look

[Reyzzz]

Any lights in the northern part of the netherlands?

Guess you'll have to wait but most importantly, get out of your chair.

[Azutael]

Again ? the damn sun needs to chill!

Hear about these damn solar flares all the time now it feels like...

[Deleted]

Midnight for whom? The US? I live in Sweden and would love to see this =O*

[Fuzzzie]

Midnight for whom? The US? I live in Sweden and would love to see this =O*

It will be ongoing for several days to weeks.

It started last night. (EST) around 1am.

[Deleted]

It will be ongoing for several days to weeks.

It started last night. (EST) around 1am.

Aight, so any clear night in the upcoming days should do it eh?

[Tenzai]

Its that damn global warming.

[Fuzzzie]

Aight, so any clear night in the upcoming days should do it eh?

Yeah, as long as it's dark enough. If you live in Sweden you should be seeing it regularly anyways.

[Bearshield]

the damn sun needs to chill!

Pun intended?

[MadMiller20]

"This phase can disrupt power grids, satellites, oil pipelines and high-accuracy GPS systems used by oil drillers, surveyors and some agricultural operations, scientists said."

How severe do you think the disruptions will be? Will they effect these businesses greatly? Will there be blackouts due to the disruptions of power grids? Solar Storms have been going on for ever. This will be the largest in 5 years but, there have been larger guaranteed. Technology now allows us to document and predict storms like these so they are now more worrisome and scary. They also affect technology which we rely heavily upon.

It is a similar situation with Tsunamis and earthquakes. Now that they are documented by technology in remote areas where few people live, more earthquakes are reported. When little to no people experience them, they are still recorded where in the past they were not. This is why we seem to hear about them more often. I wonder if it is a similar case with solar flares?

[Deleted]

Yeah, as long as it's dark enough. If you live in Sweden you should be seeing it regularly anyways.

To be honest, thats like way up north ye know =P But I guess I'll take my polar bear and ride down town and meet up with dem blonde chicks and we'll watch the aurora (that's the english word for it?)

*I do not own a polar bear, and I certainly would not ride on one*

[Reg]

I might have to take a train out to the suburbs to see this. *Can't see the sky for shit in NYC.

[Fuzzzie]

To be honest, thats like way up north ye know =P But I guess I'll take my polar bear and ride down town and meet up with dem blonde chicks and we'll watch the aurora (that's the english word for it?)

*I do not own a polar bear, and I certainly would not ride on one*

I just figured because I'm much further south in Canada and can sometimes see it. Usually in the summer though.

Also, Coronal Mass Ejection sounds dirty..

[Deleted]

I just figured because I'm much further south in Canada and can sometimes see it. Usually in the summer though.

Also, Coronal Mass Ejection sounds dirty..

I've actually only seen it once in my 18 year life, and it was a small one =/*

[dockers]

If this shit disrupts our heroic deathwing attempts tonight I'm going to throw a damn rock at the sun as hard as I can.

[Fuzzzie]

I've actually only seen it once in my 18 year life, and it was a small one =/*

City lights, even if you're 50-60KM outside the city can obscure it. It's not like the time lapse videos you see, it usually just looks like colour that you would see reflecting off clouds.

[wilbbailey]

OMG Grab your foil helmets.

[Deleted]

City lights, even if you're 50-60KM outside the city can obscure it. It's not like the time lapse videos you see, it usually just looks like colour that you would see reflecting off clouds.

Tbh, I do not live in a city, I do live like 10 km from a small town, but... There's barely any lights down there rofl =P*