Major Flare Today: Sun Kicks Up Biggest Storm in Years

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.

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?

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

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

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.

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

"Brace for impact."

Giving us the evil eye, so to speak.

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

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.

you might think someone is pissed off at us?

We're DOOMED!

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

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.

OMG-LOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

hidden his nucular weapons on the sun.

You first Georgie boy ...

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

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.

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

while you're at it.

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:

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

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:

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

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

:bounce::kick::bounce: