Bottom line, we’re not going to die.
MAJOR SOLAR FLARE AND RADIATION STORM: On Sept. 10th, departing sunspot AR2673 erupted, producing a powerful X8-class solar flare. The explosion propelled a CME into space and accelerated a swarm of energetic protons toward Earth. Both are visible in this coronagraph movie from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO):
http://spaceweather.com/images2017/11sep17/cme_c3_anim.gif?PHPSESSID=2m9ju53dim6jmr43n3qjg1itg4
The many specks in this movie are not stars—they are solar protons striking SOHO’s digital camera. On Sept. 11th these protons are still streaming past our planet, causing a strong (S3-class) solar radiation storm.
When it exploded on Sept. 10th, sunspot AR2673 was on the sun’s western limb. It turns out, this is a special location: The sun’s western limb is magnetically well-connected to Earth. Look at this diagram. Magnetic fields spiraling back from the blast site led directly to our planet, funneling these energetic protons Earthward for the ongoing radiation storm.
During a radiation storm like this one, cameras on Earth-orbiting satellites may be clouded by the action of the energetic particles; astronauts are recommended to avoid spacewalks; and passengers on high-flying aircraft can absorb elevated doses of radiation during transits of Earth’s polar regions.
http://spaceweather.com/images2017/04apr17/parkerspiral.gif?PHPSESSID=s9u3f727n0v30rr4h96kmjub66
