Solar Activity

Everybody duck!!

Just got in from the field and noticed the pdops were less than 1.0 with 14 satellites. Must've missed central OK.

But it just might morph Hurricane Irma into a dark matter neutrino/ gamma photon maelstrom. I'm gonna put on some spf1000 just to be safe. 😉

paden,

If there was a CME from today's flare, it won't likely impact the Earth until Friday and/or Saturday (depending on its velocity). Of course, we experienced the radio blackout from the x-rays since they only take 8 mins. 20 secs. to reach us.

well, we've been experiencing a Crapola Mass Ejection emanating from a black hole near N30^08'02", W97^38'28"- It's starting to give me a headache- for a bit, I thought it was just the smoke from the fires......

Rankin,

Your problem may be an undigested bit of tofu chorizo, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato.

Here is a photo taken on Sept. 5th of sun spot AR2673 by amateur astronomer, Phillippe Tosi, of N??mes, France with the Earth superimposed for scale.
(from www.spaceweather.com)

Yesterday I was out and the temp was in the mid 80s and where the sun hit me it felt like fire, just like it does today.....

Gene Kooper, post: 445347, member: 9850 wrote: Here is a photo taken on Sept. 5th of sun spot AR2673 by amateur astronomer, Phillippe Tosi, of N??mes, France with the Earth superimposed for scale.
(from http://www.spaceweather.com&apos ;">www.spaceweather.com)

Stuff like that helps keep "things" in perspective.

Loyal

MAJOR SOLAR FLARE: On Sept. 6th at 1202 UT, sunspot AR2673 unleashed a major X9.3-class solar flare--the strongest solar flare in more than a decade. X-rays and UV radiation from the blast ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout over Europe, Africa and the Atlantic Ocean ( ?PHPSESSID=acgvg688ik7tplq44retl3bet5'">blackout map). The explosion also likely produced a CME, although coronagraph images have not yet confirmed this possibility. Please stay tuned for updates about this event.

The update:

The explosion also produced a CME, http://www.spaceweather.com/images2017/06sep17/ahead_20170906_cor2_512.mpg?PHPSESSID=k24d3rgml3kkitdm2i0tisjv63&apos ;">shown here in a movie from NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft. (The fast moving star-like object in the STEREO-A movie is the planet Mercury.) NOAA analysts are still modeling the trajectory of the CME to determine whether or not it is Earth-directed.

Many readers are asking about the historic context of this event. How epic is it? Answer: This is a decade-class flare. A list of http://www.spaceweather.com/solarflares/topflares.html&apos ;">the most powerful solar flares recorded since 1976 ranks today's flare at #14, tied with a similar explosion in 1990. Compared to the iconic Carrington Event of 1859, or even the more recent Halloween storms of 2003, this event is relatively mild. Modern power grids, telecommunications, and other sun sensitive technologies should weather the storm with little difficulty.

Gene Kooper, post: 445347, member: 9850 wrote: Here is a photo taken on Sept. 5th of sun spot AR2673 by amateur astronomer, Phillippe Tosi, of N??mes, France with the Earth superimposed for scale.
(from http://www.spaceweather.com&apos ;">www.spaceweather.com)

TAKE EARTH OUT OF THERE! TAKE EARTH OUT OF THERE! HOT HOT HOT!!!

Dave Karoly, post: 445389, member: 94 wrote: TAKE EARTH OUT OF THERE! TAKE EARTH OUT OF THERE! HOT HOT HOT!!!

Calm down Dave. Think of it as a astronomical equivalent to an Estwing g-pick placed in a photo for scale.

Run, Dave, Run! "NOAA forecasters say strong ?PHPSESSID=o50lk835a3pr02agk3tk6s7bm5'">G3-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Sept. 8th when the inbound CME arrives." Click on the photo for a link to a hi-resolution version of the explosion.
Plan your work accordingly.

EARTH VS. SOLAR FLARE: Amateur astronomer Philippe Tosi photographed the sun on Sept. 6th, and his timing was perfect. He caught sunspot AR2673 in mid-explosion, producing the most powerful solar flare in more than a decade.

http://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=138870&apos ;">

His image of the http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html?PHPSESSID=o50lk835a3pr02agk3tk6s7bm5&apos ;">X9-category blast, with Earth inserted for comparison, highlights the advantages of being 93 million miles away from the sun. The explosion was big enough to swallow our entire planet with room to spare.

Perhaps not the best time for GPS work, esp. in the higher latitudes.

From www.spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE--IT'S BACK: Geomagnetic activity has intensified again as Earth passes through a region of strong magnetic fields in the wake of the CME that arrived last night. NOAA magnetometers are reporting renewed episodes of strong ?PHPSESSID=jl6hiecccllqipb5ojuflaisl6'">G3-class and severe ?PHPSESSID=jl6hiecccllqipb5ojuflaisl6'">G4-class storming on Sept. 8th. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. Free: http://www.spaceweather.com/services?PHPSESSID=jl6hiecccllqipb5ojuflaisl6&apos ;">Aurora Alerts

Gene Kooper, post: 445893, member: 9850 wrote: Perhaps not the best time for GPS work, esp. in the higher latitudes.

Agreed, I don't every recall the Kp going over 8, and I have had issues before at 8 that I attributed to the Kp index, too much smoke and clouds to get any flights today, but it was a no go due to solar activity anyway, my phone has been blowing up with alerts...

SHG

Gene Kooper, post: 445893, member: 9850 wrote: Perhaps not the best time for GPS work, esp. in the higher latitudes.

Maybe not the best in lower lattitudes either - but pretty spectacular (
or is that spectacularly pretty?)

[MEDIA=facebook]1681315761940673[/MEDIA]

Jim,

I guess I'm thinking that higher latitudes are related to the absolute value of the latitude. 🙂

One last departing shot from sun spot AR2673. :dizzy:

From http://www.spaceweather.com&apos ;">www.spaceweather.com

MAJOR SOLAR FLARE AND RADIATION STORM: Departing sunspot AR2673 erupted again on Sept.10th (1606 UT), producing a major http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html?PHPSESSID=teagmthpugs6rmuitnera5hku5&apos ;">X8-class solar flare. Protons accelerated toward Earth by the explosion are swarming around our planet now, causing a moderately strong solar radiation storm. (continued below)

?PHPSESSID=teagmthpugs6rmuitnera5hku5'">
NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the flare's extreme UV flash

A pulse of ultraviolet and X-radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, triggering a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas ( ?PHPSESSID=teagmthpugs6rmuitnera5hku5'">blackout map #1). That blackout is now subsiding. However, an even stronger blackout of shortwave radio communications around the poles is still underway ( ?PHPSESSID=teagmthpugs6rmuitnera5hku5'">blackout map #2). Stay tuned for updates about this significant event.

This spectacular photo was taken by Alan Dyer on Sept. 27, 2017. The purple "rainbow" to the left is called a "Steve". The main aurora is to the right.

From http://www.spaceweather.com&apos ;">www.spaceweather.com and http://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_upload.php?upload_id=139596