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A massive "hole" on the surface of the sun has unleashed a strong solar wind that scientists say may amp up the northern lights in some areas of the U.S. and could disrupt satellite communications over the next few days. Data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory revealed a vast region where the sun's magnetic field has opened up, creating a gap in the sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona. This region, also known as a coronal hole, allows charged particles to escape and flow toward Earth in an increased solar wind. As a result, the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center...

On Sunday night into Monday morning, the Solar Dynamics Observatory Satellite of NASA showed a solar flare on the sun released a coronal mass ejection towards Earth that could impact us on Thursday. The solar flare was not particularly large, but NOAA has issued A G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watch, in effect for Thursday.  The G1 Watch has been issued due to the likely response associated with the arrival of an asymmetric halo coronal mass ejection glancing blow late on the Wednesday to early Thursday. The CME was first observed in  at 8:25 p.m. on Sunday. ... According to NASA, solar activity associated with Space...

TV reception breaking up into pixels, erratically, on both NFL games I'm switching between. Anyone else having the problem?

Millions will be dreaming by the fire soon, but a special Christmas delivery could come early. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a solar storm blasting Earth any day now, according to The Sun. A fast stream of solar wind has reportedly hit Earth's magnetic field, generating a "moderately" strong geomagnetic storm which could last for several days, The Sun reported, citing the NOAA. Solar storms occur when plasma from the sun is blown toward Earth in a stream of supercharged particles. Most notably, these storms create the natural phenomenon known as the Northern Lights. However, the...

First map showing areas in the US at risk of solar storms has been released Experts looked at two factors, one being data from geomagnetic storms The other was data from magnetic materials beneath the Earth's surface Map reveals Minnesota and Wisconsin are at the highest risk in the US But more than half the US hasn't been surveyed due to a lack of funds Solar storms threaten Earth about every 100 years and experts warn we are overdue Copywrite prevents full publication of this article

"An executive order was issued Thursday, October 14, that outlined the country’s contingency plan in the event such weather events lead to significant disruption to systems like the electrical power grid, satellite operations or aviation."

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...

Trains will be disrupted, power will go out, satellite signals will go wonky - that’s what we have to look forward to when the sun next has a melt down, and we’re unlikely to get more than 12 hours warning. In a new government document, the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has laid out its Space Weather Preparedness Strategy, outlining the risks of unsettled space weather as well as what it plans to do about them.

A severe solar storm smacked Earth with a surprisingly big geomagnetic jolt Tuesday, potentially affecting power grids and GPS tracking while pushing the colorful northern lights farther south, federal forecasters said. So far no damage has been reported. Two blasts of magnetic plasma left the sun on Sunday, combined and arrived on Earth about 15 hours earlier and much stronger than expected, said Thomas Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. This storm ranks a 4, called severe, on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 1-to-5 scale for geomagnetic effects. It is the strongest solar storm...

Photo taken March 17, 2015 near Beaverton, Ontario (~80km north of Toronto).

Solar radiation knocked out some radio communication on Earth yesterday It came from a giant sunspot seen on the surface of the sun recently Sunspot AR12192 is 14 times larger than Earth and almost as big as Jupiter The Met Office tells MailOnline it might be the largest sunspot in 25 years It is so big that it can be seen in images of the sun from Earth's surface This particular flare from the sunspot was brief but strong It follows three days of severe storms on the sun 'It would seem to be just a matter of time before...

Scientists say an extreme solar flare is blasting its way to Earth and could mess up some power grids, satellites and radio transmissions. Forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center don't yet know when Wednesday's solar storm will arrive here and which part of the planet will be facing the sun and bear the brunt of the effects. It could be as early as Thursday morning to a few days.

NASA’s recent reports alerted that Earth’s magnetic field will face a double-blow from a pair of CMEs on Sept. 12th. Previously, the two storm clouds were propelled in our direction by explosions in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2158, which also fired off another intense solar flare on 9th and 10. These two flare outburst process was captured on camera by NASA. Huge geomagnetic tornados are expected on Sept. 12th and 13th as an outcome of the above repeated impacts.

The sun fired off an intense solar storm at Earth Wednesday (Aug. 21) — the second in two days — hurtling billions of tons of charged particles at our planet, but should not pose a threat to people on the ground, NASA says. The solar eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, occurred yesterday at 1:24 a.m. EDT (0524 GMT) and sent charged particles streaking outward at 380 miles per second. That's just over 1.3 million mph (2.2 million km/h). The solar fallout from the sun storm is expected to reach Earth within the next three days.

The sun unleashed a powerful storm early Tuesday morning (Aug. 20), sending an enormous cloud of superheated particles rocketing toward Earth. The solar eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), occurred at 4:24 a.m. EDT (0824 GMT) Tuesday and blasted billions of tons of solar particles toward Earth at a mind-boggling speed of 2 million mph (3.3 million km/h). ... Tuesday's blast doesn't appear to have too much disruptive potential. "In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength have usually been mild," NASA officials wrote. CMEs that hit Earth can also ramp up the auroras, also...

“Something unexpected” is happening on the Sun, NASA has warned. This year was supposed to be the year of “solar maximum,” the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle. But … solar activity is relatively low. “Sunspot numbers are well below their values from 2011, and strong solar flares have been infrequent,” the space agency says. … Experts have been baffled by the apparent lack of activity—with many wondering if NASA simply got it wrong. However, Solar physicist Dean Pesnell of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center believes he has a different explanation. “This is solar maximum,” he says. “But it looks...

'Something unexpected' is happening on the Sun, Nasa has warned. This year was supposed to be the year of 'solar maximum,' the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle. But as this image reveals, solar activity is relatively low.

Will The Peak Of The Solar Cycle In 2013 Produce Technology Crippling Solar Super Storms? By Michael Snyder November 25th, 2012 Our sun is becoming increasingly unstable, and most people have no idea the complete and utter devastation that a massive solar storm could potentially cause. A giant solar storm could potentially take out satellites, GPS systems, electrical grids, communication networks and pretty much anything else that runs on electricity or that relies upon electronics. And considering how dependent our society has become on technology, we are talking about an event that could possibly bring about the end of the...

If Earth is struck by a large solar flare, some in the scientific community believe: The planet will be hit with a widespread loss of power. Air travel would be grounded. Nuclear plants would be crippled and without sufficient back-up power, dozens could meltdown. Satellites would be disabled, causing a serious loss of communication in all areas (military and civilian). Food and medicine would be in short supply, setting up the potential for food riots within days of an outage. The same scientists who believe that a large solar strike could lead to a very rapid societal breakdown say that...

Almost a week after the D.C. area was pummeled with raging storms, many individuals are still suffering in the July heat without lights, phone lines, and, perhaps most importantly, air conditioning. In the immediate aftermath of this event, tens of thousands of Washingtonians, Marylanders, and Virginians were left without power. Storms across the country had similar effects, and Americans from Richmond to Detroit are still facing the summer heat without many basic comforts. As awful as this is, things could be even worse. Imagine for a moment that that the power never came back on.