Article

2003-10-23 -Short Attention Span Theater-

Strong geomagnetic storm expected to hit Earth

No tinfoil umbrellas required, folks.
A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to hit Earth on Friday with the potential to affect electrical grids and satellite communications. One of the largest sunspot clusters in years developed over the past three days and produced a coronal mass ejection, similar to a solar flare, at 7am GMT on Wednesday, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The disturbance is expected to produce a geomagnetic storm rated G3. A G5 storm is the strongest. A second sunspot cluster not yet visible from Earth could produce more geomagnetic storms in the next two weeks, NOAA said.
One little piece of information left out in the report: what timeâs it gonna hit, and therefore whoâs gonna get fried?!

Posted by Bulldog 2003-10-23 8:27:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Wonder where the spacestation will be and how long does a storm last? Long enuf for an orbit?

Posted by Shipman 2003-10-23 9:01:52 AM|| 2003-10-23 9:01:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 "Coronal mass ejection"? Is that like solar diarrhea?

Posted by Dar 2003-10-23 9:53:55 AM|| 2003-10-23 9:53:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Can't wait for Al Qaeda to claim credit for this storm.

Posted by Daniel King 2003-10-23 10:02:02 AM|| 2003-10-23 10:02:02 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Coronal mass ejection is when a prominence pinches and blows up, blasting part of the surface layer out into space. Lots of charged particles following the prompt radiation (mostly X-ray and Gamma). These things make a thermo-nuke look like a popgun.

They're usually directional, though. Which way is this'un headed?

Posted by mojo 2003-10-23 11:19:19 AM|| 2003-10-23 11:19:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Somehow, it must be the fault of the Jooos.

Posted by B 2003-10-23 11:28:56 AM|| 2003-10-23 11:28:56 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Well, it says it could hit Earth Friday. Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, etc., travel slower than light, and can take up to ten days to reach earth. Most travel faster than that, and reach in 18 to 36 hours. They can last for as long as two days, depending on the size, density, speed, and what lies in between - such as Venus, Mercury, or our moon. According to the article on "Space News", it's supposed to reach Earth at midday, tomorrow. It should make for some interesting Aurora Borealis displays, possibly seen as far south as New York and Montana.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-10-23 11:56:12 AM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-10-23 11:56:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Check out http://www.spaceweather.com/ for all your space weather reporting needs.

"SOLAR EXPLOSIONS: Solar activity is high. An intense X5-class solar flare erupted today (Oct. 23rd at 8:35 UT) from sunspot 486 near the sun's southeastern limb. The explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. See the movie. Although the CME was not Earth-directed, it could deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field as early as Oct 24th (although the 25th is more likely)..."

Posted by Dave 2003-10-23 12:02:43 PM|| 2003-10-23 12:02:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Space.com says midday tomorrow (Eastern time, I assume, since they mention that time zone elsewhere in the story).

Posted by Kathy K 2003-10-23 12:11:06 PM|| [site-essential.com/] 2003-10-23 12:11:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 This brings to question how much radiation will leak through our atmosphere and if the ISP will be fried to a crisp.

Posted by Charles 2003-10-23 12:45:01 PM|| 2003-10-23 12:45:01 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 It will hit Mecca first.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-10-23 1:31:48 PM|| 2003-10-23 1:31:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 I wouldn't want to be standing in the yard of a power sub-station when the EMP arrives, let's put it that way.

Posted by mojo 2003-10-23 2:20:43 PM|| 2003-10-23 2:20:43 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Should we...RUN FOR OUR LIVES!!!
Oh, wait. Where we gonna go?
Nevermind.

Posted by tu3031 2003-10-23 4:49:11 PM|| 2003-10-23 4:49:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 tu3031---before we run in panic for our lives, be sure to secure all classified material.....

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-10-23 5:47:38 PM|| 2003-10-23 5:47:38 PM|| Front Page Top

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