Sun’s Massive Energy: Biggest Solar Storm Since 2005 Hits Earth, Planes Diverted, Could Affect Cellphones & Other Communications (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on January 25, 2012
Solar flares and solar storms are far larger than most people can possibly fathom
You just know that some idiot global warming eco-nuts will try to stammeringly explain this massive solar storm by claiming that AGW, climate change, or non-government-carbon-credited CO2 emissions had something to do with the current solar storm coming from the center of our solar system.
Silly, tiny humans — your arrogance is amusing.
From Space.com, ‘Space Hurricane’: Huge Solar Storm Is Pounding Earth Now:
A wave of charged particles from an intense solar storm is pummeling the Earth right now, which may trigger stunning aurora displays and cause minor disruptions to satellites over the next two days, NASA scientists say.
The storm began when a powerful solar flare erupted on the sun yesterday (Jan. 23), blasting a stream of charged particles toward Earth. This electromagnetic burst, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), hit Earth at about 9:31 a.m. EST (1430 GMT), according to scientists at the Space Weather Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
ITN News: Massive geomagnetic solar storm to hit Earth
From Daily Mail, Biggest solar storm since 2003 pummels atmosphere, forcing planes to divert from northern routes and hitting GPS satellites:
Airlines including Delta have diverted flights across northern routes as the strongest solar storm since 2003 hits Earth’s atmosphere.
Airlines are avoiding North Pole routes, which the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says are more exposed to the proton storm caused by solar activity on January 23.
NOAA issued a warning for solar radiation storms, which can affect communications systems at high latitudes and satellite-based communications such as GPS. The crew on the International Space Station has not been harmed, but Nasa says problems with satellites are possible.
‘Many airliners have been avoiding the North Pole routes because they are more exposed to the proton storm, which disrupts High Frequency radio communications,’ Doug Biesecker, a space weather specialist at NOAA said.
NOAA said today, ‘The geomagnetic field is expected to be at unsettled to minor storm levels, with isolated major storm intervals.’
Nasa’s Goddard Space Weather Centre said, ‘The influx of particles amplified the solar radiation storm such that it is now considered the largest since October 2003. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has categorized it as a “strong” — or S3 (with S5 being the highest) – storm.
‘Solar radiation storms can affect satellite operations and short wave radio propagation, but cannot harm humans on Earth.’
From BBC News, Solar storm’s effects to lash Earth until Wednesday:
Our planet is being bombarded by high-energy particles unleashed by the strongest solar storm since 2005, scientists say.
The charged particles are mostly a concern for satellites – which they can disrupt – and astronauts.
But they can also cause communication problems for aircraft travelling near the poles.
The geomagnetic storm has been caused by a potent flare that erupted from the Sun at 0400 GMT on Monday.
The effects are likely to be felt on Earth throughout Wednesday.
A more benign effect of the outpouring of particles is the ability to see aurorae, or “Northern lights”, farther south than is usually possible.
A spokesman for US space agency Nasa said that flight surgeons and solar scientists have modelled the flare’s predicted effects.
They decided that the six astronauts on the International Space Station do not have to take any action to protect themselves from the incoming stream of particles.
Solar flares are caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun’s atmosphere.
In an event called a coronal mass ejection (CME), bursts of charged particles are released into space.
NASA | Biggest Solar Storm Since 2005
From Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Huge solar storm produces outstanding aurora over Alaska as airlines, telecom companies fret over disruptions:
FAIRBANKS — A massive solar storm bombarding the Earth has the potential to disrupt satellites and high-frequency radio waves, but airlines and communications companies serving Alaska aren’t anticipating any major problems.
Representatives of Fairbanks International Airport and Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage reported no cancellations or rerouting of flights due to the storm, which hit Sunday and is expected to cause geomagnetic storms for the next several days.
Alaska Airlines has not experienced any problems, according to Bobbie Egan, media relations manager for Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. Its planes have redundant systems in place should anything happen to primary systems, and the airline takes precautions such as increasing the space between planes to decrease the likelihood of mishaps, Egan said.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation and rely on various services such as Weather Service International and air traffic control,” Egan said.
More information from Los Angeles Times, Solar storms may cause cellphones to drop calls:
On Sunday, a massive explosion on the sun known as a solar flare sent an ejection of some of the sun’s plasma hurtling toward earth at the ungodly speed of 1,000 kilometers…per second!
No need to worry about being hit by flying sun plasma though — that will zoom right past Earth and race toward the edge of the solar system, according to Harlan Spence, principal investigator for the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) instrument onboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
It’s the ionizing-radiation that was also produced during the flare that hit Earth on Tuesday that is more of a cause for concern.
The radiation won’t physically hurt those of us who are earthbound — the Earth’s magnetic field and its atmosphere provides an effective shield against that. But astronauts who are working on the International Space Station could be at risk.
“These particles move so fast that they can penetrate the walls of spacecraft, damage electronics and even pass through a spacesuit into a person’s body,” said Spence. “And when it moves through you, it can do grave damage to your cells and your DNA. That’s why astronauts will try to go to a well shielded environment when one of these events occur.”
Furthermore, our beloved GPS systems may be affected. The GPS satellites themselves, which are located high above the Earth’s atmosphere, are most likely not at risk, but the earth’s electromagnetic field will get all stirred up by radiation coming off the sun, and the signals we receive have to pass through that stirred-up area.
“As conditions change, GPS systems may be degraded,” said Spence.
Cellphones will generally not be affected, said Douglas Biesecker, a physicist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
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