Astronauts Forced To Take Shelter From Violent Solar Storm In Space

Local6 ^ | December 13, 2006

[Sam Cree]

"The solar flare erupted around 9:40 p.m., unleashing enough radiation to disrupt radio communications on Earth..."

So that's why FR is so slow today.

[Centurion2000]

wouldn't that be SPF Pb 4000 for extreme shielding?

[RightWhale]

spaceflightnow.com

2050 GMT (3:50 p.m. EST)

The crew says about 17.5 bays remain out. That would be just within the 19-bay target to clear the P6 wing for activation of the Port 4 solar array rotation.

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Looks like they can work with this although it isn't going to be especially neat.

[colorado tanker]

Help me out here. Where exactly did they "take shelter." Are there motels in outer space?

They beamed up thermal deflectors to protect the colonists from the storm.

[TheTruthAintPretty]

It figures...

With digital cable, we have a gay channel, an Al Qaeda channel, and way too many derivatives of MTV, but no NASA channel. And no horse racing (TVG) channel!

So the poofs, the Islamofascists, the hiphoppers, and the Peta people are covered, but not us science geeks.

[RightWhale]

There has been micro-coverage (they mentioned the launch had happened) here in Alaska, but then the pilot is from Anchorage.

[2Jedismom]

Thank you!!

[2Jedismom]

Do you think I might be potentially a little too far south? Does this line go just to the north of my area? (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

[Vinnie]

I'm in Raleigh, close to your latitude.
I don't think the time or max. latitude can be predicted with any more than an educated guess. But tonight should be about as good a chance as it gets.

Don't expect 'dancing ribbons' in the sky, more likely a reddish, or green glow to the north.

Charging the digital camera batteries right now.

Since I'm retired time means little to me. (eh-eh)
I'm staying up.
My son in Pittsburgh took some good pics of an aurora last year.

[2Jedismom]

I saw some beautiful lights when I was in N. Minnesota with my husband 15 years ago. We sat on the side of the road and just ooo-ed and ahhh-ed just like they were fireworks!

Truly spectacular.

Being from the area south of Houston, I had never seen anything like them!

[Vinnie]

I may have seen a slight glow in the sky once.
Anxious to see the real thing.

[2Jedismom]

Well, I passed on the info to my fellow homeschooling moms...at least maybe we'll see the Geminids...

[ko_kyi]

"Riding in space you get irradiated a little."

What kind of radiation is it? X-ray?

[MikeD]

What kind of radiation is it? X-ray?

A little bit of everything, actually. Cosmic rays, neutrons, protons, gamma rays, electrons. Granted, the particles are mostly stopped by the hull, but the gammas and cosmic rays come zipping right through the exterior of the spacecraft. You'd need a few feet of lead or concrete to give real gamma protection.

Space travel is far from routine...

[ROCKLOBSTER]

"Pure" diesels don't even need spark plugs, much less electronic timing and fuel injection, to operate.

No diesel needs spark plugs, they might need "glow plugs" to start.

All diesels ever made require fuel injection...it's mechanical however.

[libill]

Specifically Bush's fault, he gets blamed for everything. The dim's will surely find a way to blame him for this and the associated global warming etc.

Anyway, what solar minimum? Perhaps the rescheduled launch the other night was due to weather, just not earth bound weather.

[Marysecretary]

I wondered that too, LOL.

[raygun]

Auroral Map

[omega4179]

The sun's power pales in comparison to the american consumer!

[HKMk23]

Ev'ry picture tells a story, don't it...