Major Flare Today: Sun Kicks Up Biggest Storm in Years

[SilasSoule]

Updated at 1:00 p.m. EST

The Sun today unleashed what appears to be the third most powerful flare in recorded history, a storm of charged particles that could hit Earth mid-day Wednesday with more effect than any since 1989, when an entire Canadian province had its power knocked out.

Depending on the storm's magnetic orientation, it could set off a dramatic display of colorful northern lights well into mid-latitudes of the United States and Europe.

Meanwhile, satellite operators and power grid managers are preparing to endure a potentially damaging event. And astronauts aboard the International Space Station have taken cover from heavier radiation sent out by the flare. They are not expected to be in any serious danger.

Kicked up at 6 a.m. EST (1100 UT) today, the major solar outburst comes on the heels of four other flares late last week and over the weekend. All were considered fairly severe, but the latest eruption makes the others seem like solar sneezes.


Today's blast is classified as an X17, where X denotes a major flare and larger numbers are stronger. That compares to two flare-ups over the weekend that were rated less than X2.

more: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solar_flare_031028.html


This one looks like the real thing guys...Due tommorrow on Earth.

[Flying_Pig]

1. Wow! Great picture. Mother nature farts in our direction.

Kind of scary, actually. What would happen if the sun flared 100 times greater in power than this one? What would that do to the earth? The sun is certainly capable of doing it. Maybe this will be how humankind ends?

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Maybe it's about to and they're not going to tell us...

If you get a sudden, massive headache and your computer shorts out...
buh-bye!

[Flying_Pig]

4. Ha, ha. Not funny. Maybe I'll go spelunking tomorrow, and get a few

hundred feet underground, just in case ....(just kidding).

[Resistance Is Futile]

13. Hyperflares

A very large flare would destroy the ozone layer, which would in turn cause the extinction of most life on earth.

The current incident isn't big enough to cause that much damage. Just be prepared to deal with power blackouts (including multi-day complete grid failures) and temporary loss of radio communications.

[tridim]

3. Got my SPF 1000 on

I hope the Internet survives, it's my bread and butter.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. "SHIELDS!"

"Brace for impact."

[kalian]

6. Looks like Momma Nature is not happy with us....

Giving us the evil eye, so to speak.

[DemoTex]

7. 20-meters sucks ...

HF-com is bad tonight. Eh, hammers? SSB is being hammered. No key here at the mountain house for CW. Sorry.

Also, I only have a 20-meter antenna up. It is a dipole cut for 14.28. I'll call CQ DU on 14.28 in a minuite or two. Long shot!

Mac

[Throckmorton]

9. Sorry Demo, not at the Home QTH

We are rigged for an ion storm here in New England, ISO New England Master/Satellite Procedure 2 is in effect, as we are preparing for major grid issues overnight.

My unit is shutdown for refueling, but we just made both emergency diesels operable, just in case.

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. Between this and the CA fires

you might think someone is pissed off at us?

[killbotfactory]

10. The sun is going to EXPLODE

We're DOOMED!

[DeathvadeR]

11. you may be right.

I mean how do we really know it wouldn't? O God said it wouldn't thats right.

[are_we_united_yet]

12. At least

we don't have to endure "four more years". When you think about it,

the end of the world is a relatively small price to pay.

[montana_hazeleyes]

14. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

OMG-LOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[Paul Hood]

15. Saddam must have

hidden his nucular weapons on the sun.

[Nihil]

16. Quick - invade!

You first Georgie boy ...

[are_we_united_yet]

25. I can hear it now....

"The British Government has learned that the Iraqi Government has shipped significant quantities of Uranium to the Sun..."

[lumpy]

17. 3:00 am in Puget Sound area

power/phones just came on after 4 or 5 hours. Not sure whether it was the wind or not, but I been thinking sun flare.

[union_maid]

18. The Gods are angry

They demand a sacrifice. Let's not be cheesy about it. Let's give them our entire administration.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Heck, throw in Congress too

while you're at it.

[WillyT]

20. They Keep Sayin Midday On Wednesday For This Thing To Hit...

Midday where? Which timezone(s) will be facing it? And for what duration?

Anybody have a site with that type of info?

:scared::nuke::scared:

:beer::hippie: :smoke:

[DoYouEverWonder]

21. Assuming you're listening to US news

and considering their egocentric bent on things, I would guess anywhere in the western hemisphere will be hit sometime this afternoon EST.

[WillyT]

22. That's What I'm Assuming As Well, But You'd Think...

At least one reporter might have taken the trouble to find out and report it.

I haven't seen that particular info in ANY of the stories on this.

Quite a journalistic omission, no???

:shrug:

[DoYouEverWonder]

23. Here's the scoop

Found this over in the Meeting Room forum. Of course, we already know that if you want to know the real lowdown on just about anything you'll find it on DU.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=111&topic_id=9548

[WillyT]

24. Kewl, And Thank You !!!

You are correct, if ya need info, this IS the place!!!

:bounce::kick::bounce: