Posted on 10/24/2003 7:40:02 AM PDT by cogitator
Text below reproduces what is found on linked site; linked site has featured image of MAJOR sunspot group.
Forecasters at the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., observed two dynamic areas of the sun, one of which has produced a coronal mass ejection, or CME, Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. EDT that appears to be Earth-directed. The forecasters are predicting a strong geomagnetic storm, G-3 on the NOAA Space Weather Scales, that should reach Earth on Friday, October 24. (Click here to view larger image from the SOHO spacecraft of the intense solar activity on the sun taken Oct. 21, 2003. Click here to view high resolution version, which is a large file. Click here to view latest images. Please credit “SOHO.”)
NOAA Region 484 developed rapidly over the past three days and is now one of the largest sunspot clusters to emerge during Solar Cycle 23. It is about 10 times larger than the Earth. This region, which is nearing the center of the sun, already produced a major flare, R-3 on the NOAA Space Weather Scales, producing a radio blackout on October 19 at 12:50 p.m EDT. The region continues to grow, and additional substantial flare activity is likely.
Larry Combs, a forecaster with the NOAA Space Environment Center’s Space Weather Operations, said that this region has developed rapidly over the last three to four days. “It’s somewhat unusual to have this much activity when we’re approximately three-and-a-half years past solar maximum,” he said. “In fact, just last week, solar activity was very low with an almost spotless sun.” Solar cycles of high and low activity repeat about every eleven years, and the sun has been moving towards solar minimum for the past three years.
A second intense active region is rotating on the southeast quadrant of the sun. Although the sunspot group is not yet visible, two powerful eruptions occurred on October 21 as seen from the LASCO instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. These eruptions may herald the arrival of another volatile active center with the potential to impact various Earth systems.
Further major eruptions are possible from these active regions as they rotate across the face of the sun over the next two weeks. Satellite and other spacecraft operations, power systems, high frequency communications, and navigation systems may experience disruptions over this two-week period.
BTW, in 1994 I was with a cellular carrier that comprised a service area of 11 counties (about half a dozen more in outlying RSAs we had authority over) - at about 33/34 degrees N latitude ... we didn't see a thing down here at that time on our system (the system functioned normally - not like when we lost a 'switch' which took out the east part of system due to a software error!) ...
We just went through this - NO EFFECT.
Cell phone disruption can be caused if the power is taken out
Duh ... an indirect effect - doesn't count ...
SEE also my post #25 this thread for all you 'desk jockeys' that only read about this stuff ...
I'm sure Chuck Harder will mention it on his show today though. All during the mid-1990s, when I listened to Harder, he would try to scare us with these sunspots and sunstorms.
I can hear him now..."Oh, those satellites up there are going to be in a heap of trouble later on today...it is coming across our wires here at the Swanee River that there is some unusual solar activity out there and those satellites could soon be nothing more than a lot of very expensive molten metal...Of course, this should come as no surprise to the subscribers of our "For The People" newsletter...Only 30 bucks a year and you are in the know with the kind of news that is available no place else...But anyway, it looks like the folks at the Pentagon are going to be scrambling this afternoon trying to figure it all out...Ho, ho, ho...and it sure looks like those folks down at NASA are going to get their comeuppance too...I'm afraid this is what you get when you get your satellites made in China...Ho, ho,ho...I've been telling you so for years now...of course, the listeners to this program don't need to be afraid...I'm sure you all by now have our special "For The People" wind-up shortwave radio, available special to our listeners for the astonishingly low price of $7.95 and it's made right here in the good ole USA...Yep, and it's a dandy radio too...It sure is...and you can be sure that our "For The People" radio show will come in loud and clear for you on it no matter what happens with those dang sunspots...Yep, yep, yep..."
MINISCULE compared to the 'hits' a system sees while a Thunderstorm complex moves through ...
You guys need some field experience ...
... correct ...
Thanks.
Just go stare at the sun and see if you can "spot" it. Pun intended.
Solar ALERT: Large CME at 3 AM EDT: possiblepower, communications disruptions October 24
Posted by cogitator
On 10/24/2003 7:40 AM PDT with 33 comments
NOAA News ^ | 10/24/2003 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationHuge Solar Flare! 10/24/03
Posted by GRRRRR
On 10/24/2003 3:50 AM PDT with 45 comments
sunspotcycle.com ^ | 10/24/03 | FoxNews, www.sunspotcycle.comBig Solar Storm Will Hit Earth Friday
Posted by webber
On 10/23/2003 9:03 PM PDT with 131 comments
CBC News ^
THE SUNSPOT CYCLE
Posted by Mike Darancette
On 10/24/2003 9:54 AM PDT with 7 comments
Marshall Space Flight Center ^ | 10/23/03 | Marshall Space Flight Center
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