Posted on 08/02/2010 1:26:03 PM PDT by TaraP
On Sunday, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory detected a complex magnetic eruption on the sun. The NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) also spotted a large coronal mass ejection (CME) The eruption happened around (3:50 am EST), the SDO detected a C3 class solar flare originating from a group of sunspots (called sunspot 1092). The flare itself was not that large, but the filament located about 70,000 miles away erupted at the same time.
A filament is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape.
Filament is anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extends outward into the Sun's corona. It is a long magnetic structure rising above the surface of the sun, filled with cool plasma.
The flare and filament erupted at the same time, this suggests they are connected by long-range magnetic field lines. Some believe the flare may have accelerated the eruption of the filament. Eventually, a giant magnetic bubble of plasma broke and blasted out into space.
The problem is, the eruption occurred on the side of the sun facing earth which means, the Coronal Mass Ejection is on its way to the planet earth.
It's expected arrival is Aug. 3. This is known as a geomagnetic storm, and they have been known to cause electrical power outages and damage communications satellites. They drive shock waves which produce energetic particles that can be damaging to both electronic equipment and astronauts that venture outside the protection of the Earth's magnetic field.
Expect the government and all observatories to be on high alert.They know a CME is coming, they can probably prepare for its arrival. The reason I find this particular story interesting is because the event being discussed continues to happen more frequently, and on a larger scale than prior events of such a magnitude. Is our solar system going through a time of great change? Should we spend more time laying under the stars?
We will see how this particular CME effects earth on August 3rd. It will effect the area of earth facing the sun.
Wrong forum, Minn.
Duck!
It would certainly be helpful to know at what time of the day on 8/3 it will arrive. Then we could say who will be facing the Sun and who won't.
Idjits.
This probably not the big one but read this book;
No, only the half of us that are facing the sun.
Green??
I’ll go out on a limb and say all will be well. It takes a few days for it to reach us and the know-it-all scientists would be able to tell us if it was that big and bad.
If I’m wrong...WE’RE ALL GONNA FRY!!!
“Should we spend more time laying under the stars?”
I suppose that they meant lying under the stars.
That's not the whole story though. Your Kp number must be above the minimum for your geomagnetic latitude for you to have a chance. For example, my neighborhood (44.1 N, 69.5 W) has to have a Kp of 6.5 or more for me to have a chance. Just being in the red zone (4.0) is not good enough.
Check out Can I see the Aurora?
Yes, it does.
But this is not EM energy that is traveling.
It is a cloud of charged stellar material, traveling at its own speed, somewhat less than the speed of light.
Yes, it does: about 8 minutes and 19 seconds.
.What speed do magnetic storms travel at?
It varies. This is a cloud of particles, not light, it usually takes a couple of days to make the trip. They can see the light from the event (8 minutes later), but the mass itself travels at its own slower speed.
Complex Solar Eruption
On August 1, 2010 around 0855 UT, Earth orbiting satellites detected a C3-class solar flare. The origin of the blast was sunspot 1092. At about the same time, an enormous magnetic filament stretching across the sun’s northern hemisphere erupted. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the action.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=13587&media_id=16939864
Nasa scientists braced for ‘solar tsunami’ to hit earth
The earth could be hit by a wave of violent space weather as early as Tuesday after a massive explosion of the sun, scientists have warned.
Sunspot 1092 may combine with a large filament of cool gas stretching across the sun’s northern hemisphere to produce interference with communication systems on Earth Photo: NASA The solar fireworks at the weekend were recorded by several satellites, including Nasa’s new Solar Dynamics Observatory which watched its shock wave rippling outwards.
Astronomers from all over the world witnessed the huge flare above a giant sunspot the size of the Earth, which they linked to an even larger eruption across the surface of Sun.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7923069/Nasa-scientists-braced-for-solar-tsunami-to-hit-earth.html
Does this mean you’re going to go and hang out at Whole Foods again?
That is an amazing site,
Thanks!
I seem to recall you are far enough north to look for occasional aurorae. You may have noticed the handy “Current Auroral Oval” on the home page of spaceweather.
We’re in MI.
My girls are totally geeked about this!
That’s what I tell the eco-freaks here,” All this save-the-whales, AGW and tree-huggery rain forest hoopla, and in a instant the Sun can, and will one day, burn it all to a charred burnt out cinder. No oceans, no forests, no animals, no people. Just carbon.”......................
I was driving early one AM and came up to an intersection with a highway. There was a guy standing beside his car. I stopped and he was very shaken. I saw his front bumper sitting beside the car. The light had turned green, he started into the intersection, an 18 wheeler blew through the light and clipped off his bumper. He had been several inches away from death and he knew it.
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