Posted on 09/28/2016 5:51:25 PM PDT by MarchonDC09122009
Solar storm heading towards Earth threatening to break your Sky TV and mobile phones (by Fri 09/30)
http://www.express.co.uk/news/science/715472/Solar-storm-Earth-break-Sky-TV-mobile-phones
SCIENCE
A HUGE solar storm is heading towards Earth which could leave us without mobile phones, satellite TV and even electricity. By Sean Martin 17:53, Wed, Sept 2016
A solar storm is heading towards Earth
Modern-day Britain could go into meltdown after scientists forecast the solar storm to hit between now and Friday which could wreak havoc with technology.
Solar storms affect Earth’s technology as radiation is thrown at the planet from the Sun.
While humans are protected from the radiation by the atmosphere, the rays can heat the outer atmosphere, causing it to expand which can affect satellites in orbit. That could lead to a lack of GPS navigation, mobile phone signal and satellite TV such as Sky.
Furthermore, higher currents in the magnetosphere – the Earth’s magnetic field – could lead to a surge of electricity in power lines, which can blow out electrical transformers and power stations leading to a temporary loss of electricity in a region – although this usually only occurs in areas that are in high altitude.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says a coronal hole has opened on the Sun, leading to a stream of solar particles hurtling towards Earth.
According to SpaceWeatherLive: “The magnetic field of a coronal hole is different than the rest of the Sun. Instead of returning to the surface, these magnetic field lines stay open and stretch out into space.”
As a result, Earth is expected to be hit by a swarm of particles in the coming days which, on a better note, could cause the Northern Lights to be visible.
Mauro Messerotti, from the University of Trieste the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) warned that the hole “extends for about 30 per cent of the disk of the sun” and that the structure “may persist for more than a month because these holes sometimes last for more than one full rotation of the sun, which lasts 28 days.”
Believe it or not, about a decade or so ago, we saw a faint aurora from New York's Central Park! You could actually make out Earth's magnetic field lines within the shimmering curtain of reddish light. Reports predicted it might be visible from New York, so we went out and gave it a shot. Never will forget it.
Remember to unplug your cats!!!
G2 is not exactly unprecedented.
Incredible that you could see the Aurora considering NYC’s light pollution.
Thanks for sending those related Space weather photos.
I hope to visit Iceland or Yellow knife someday to see the Northern Lights in person.
Unplug them? - after all the trouble it took to git’em accustomed to 110 vac!..
This is what I usually follow in the morning with a cup of coffee.
http://www.suspicious0bservers.org/
I've been doing amateur astronomy from Central Park for nearly 20 years. We basically set up our scopes and wow the public with views and info on the planets and their moons, stars, star clusters, even a galaxy or two! (Andromeda mostly). Other sightings may include a passing comet (if one happens to around at the time) or the International Space Station. However, it's been 5 years or longer since I've been there with the scope.
the rays can heat the outer atmosphere????
I thought ONLY CO2 could Heat the Atmosphere?? Has anyone asked Al Gore about this Heresy?
Yes, that faint aurora we saw, with magnetic field lines and all, and both of us clearly saw it, was an amazing experience. It was the only aurora I've ever seen. Never in a million years thought I'd see one from here.
What's all this fuss about "Aurora Borealis"??
Who the heck is she anyway, some Hispanic
actress or something??
...never mind
Hahaha...great picture!
I'll tell you now, the phones and internet may be out Friday.(ahem)
Solar storm doesn’t even rate as ‘moderate’ and the UK Express is acting like it’s the big one.
Remember your microwave makes an excellent faraday cage....
Put you electronics in for 30 seconds and they are sealed forever from solar rays...
Oh noes!!! We’re all gonna die!!!
We’ll talk on Monday. If we can’t...I was wrong lol ;p
RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!
Some of the best images taken of the northern lights.
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