[Heff]

The X18+ solar flare has been associated with a high velocity FULL HALO coronal mass ejection. There IS an Earthward directed component. Estimated plane of sky velocity for this event is 2381 km/sec, although it is probable the true velocity is above 2400 km/sec because there is some evidence for acceleration of the CME.

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!

[corkoman]

it move fast lol

[ConservativeMan55]

It reads like the Income Tax Laws doesn't it?

[CWW]

It make pretty lights in sky, too!

[thinktwice]

explain this in terms that I might understand

Tin foil hats?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[baltodog]

"The X18+ solar flare has been associated with a high velocity FULL HALO coronal mass ejection. There IS an Earthward directed component. Estimated plane of sky velocity for this event is 2381 km/sec, although it is probable the true velocity is above 2400 km/sec because there is some evidence for acceleration of the CME."

This happened to me once after I drank a six-pack of Milwaukee's Best.

[Centurion2000]

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!

Think of a giant nuclear fireball ... and someone just stepped on the gas pedal to make it go faster.

[John H K]

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!

Well, these solar flares emit both energy (light of various forms, X-rays) and matter.

The energy arrives at the speed of light, which is 8 minutes....that's why we know there's a flare. The primary measurement is X-Ray Flux, which is measured by instruments on our geostationary weather satellites.

This flare produced more X-Rays than any flare ever recorded. In fact, it "pegged" the instruments at the higest they could measure for 11 minutes.

The matter doesn't move nearly as fast. It's BILLIONS of tons of ionized gas...called a "Coronal Mass Ejection"

If a CME isn't pointed at Earth, you can sort of watch it shoot off to the side.

If a CME IS pointed at earth, it forms a "full halo."

Imagine someone stood twenty feet from you, pointing a garden hose directly at you with it set to form a wide spread.

And they held the handle down for a few seconds. You'd see the water form an expanding circle or "Halo" around the person shooting the water at you. And you'd know you'd get hit by the water in a few seconds.

Because we saw this from the CME, we know the Earth will get hit at least partially.

Fortunately, Earh has a protective magnetic field. However, these CMEs strongly change that field, which can lead to charged particles getting into the upper atmosphere and causing auroras, and the changing magnetic fields can result in satellites left exposed to damage, and possible damage to electronic and electric devices on earth.

[John H K]

Continuing on, the speed is simply the speed of all the junk headed out from the flare in the CME; 2,400 kilometers per second, which is basically halfway across the US each second.

They're still crunching the numbers to come up with a forecast arrival time but I'd guess it will end up being sometime tomorrow morning Eastern Time (not very well timed for Aurora in the US).

If there are any aurora it will be tomorrow night.

[Lawdoc]

"The X18+ solar flare has been associated with a high velocity FULL HALO coronal mass ejection. There IS an Earthward directed component. Estimated plane of sky velocity for this event is 2381 km/sec, although it is probable the true velocity is above 2400 km/sec because there is some evidence for acceleration of the CME.

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!"

Simply put...Incoming and fast too!

[Wacka]

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!

Really big solar ZOT!

[Moose4]

Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!

It blowed up real good.

}:-)4

[Fighting Irish]

"...Ok...now explain this in terms that I might understand, please!..."

Everything on Earth is about to resemble a 7-11 hotdog that has been left on that rolling thingy for about a week.....