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#solarflares — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #solarflares, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Major Solar Flare (X9)

    October 3, 2024 @ 13:50 UTC (UPDATED)
    via #SolarHam

    "A major X9.0 solar flare was just detected around Earth facing sunspot region #AR3842 at 12:18 UTC (Oct 3). This is the strongest X-Ray event of the current solar cycle. More details to follow regarding a possible CME.

    "#CME Update: A coronal mass ejection (CME) with a halo signature is evident following the major X9.0 solar flare this morning. Because the source region AR 3842 is directly facing Earth, the plasma cloud appears to be aimed directly towards our planet. A further update will be provided later today once a CME tracking model becomes available. Please note that a faint CME associated with the X7 event on October 1st is expected to pass our planet sometime during the next few days.

    "Aurora sky watchers at middle to high latitudes should have their camera batteries charged up should geomagnetic storming be observed as forecast."

    Flare Events (M2+) Past 48 Hours

    X9.0
    AR 3842
    10/3/24 @ 12:18 UTC
    Type II RE (573 km/s) 10cm (3500 sfu)

    M3.2
    AR 3842
    10/2/24 @ 20:49 UTC

    M3.2
    AR 3842
    10/2/24 @ 13:38 UTC

    M3.6
    AR 3842
    10/2/24 @ 05:38 UTC
    Type II RE (1144 km/s)

    X7.1
    AR 3842
    10/1/24 @ 22:20 UTC
    Type II RE (1246 km/s) 10cm (810 sfu)

    solarham.com/

    #SolarCycle25
    #SolarFlares
    #CME #CannibalCME?

  2. I wonder if there will be another #CannibalCME with two events so close in time...

    Flare Events (M2+) Past 48 Hours

    via #SolarHam

    X7.1
    AR 3842
    10/1/24 @ 22:20 UTC
    Type II RE (1246 km/s) 10cm (810 sfu)

    M7.6
    AR 3842
    9/30/24 @ 23:59 UTC

    solarham.com/

    #SolarCycle25 #SolarFlares #CME

  3. So, even though #AR3664 is no longer #EarthFacing, we may not be out of the woods yet...

    via #SpaceWeather . com

    "CMEs emitted by the departing sunspot [#AR3664] are no longer flying toward Earth. At most only glancing blows are likely from eruptions on May 12th through 14th.

    "The danger could return on May 15th, however. On that date the sunspot will pass through a region of the sun magnetically connected to Earth via the #ParkerSpiral. Subatomic debris (protons and electrons) from explosions on May 15th and 16th could spiral back to Earth and rain down our planet. This is called a 'radiation storm;' it can upset #satellite #electronics and cause polar #RadioBlackouts. "

    spaceweather.com/repeat_images

    #SolarCycle25 #RadiationStorm #SolarFlares #SolarFlare

  4. It's more about whether or not Earth's #magnetosphere is affected by the #GeomagneticStorm, rather than the #SolarFlares themselves.

    Could an extremely powerful #SolarFlare destroy all the electronics on Earth?

    By: Jonathan Strickland
    Updated: Jun 9, 2023

    "Because our atmosphere absorbs most of these dangerous rays, terrestrial systems are fairly safe from solar flares. But another solar event called a coronal mass ejection (#CME) can cause serious problems for electrical systems here on Earth. During a CME, the fluctuations of the sun's magnetic fields cause a large portion of the surface of the sun to expand rapidly, ejecting billions of tons of particles out into space.

    "Sometimes CMEs accompany solar flares -- but not all solar flares produce #CMEs and not all CMEs accompany solar flares.

    "Unlike a solar flare, a CME doesn't produce intense light. But it does produce a magnetic shockwave that extends billions of miles out into space. If Earth is in the path of that shockwave, our planet's magnetic field will react to the event. It's similar to what happens if you put a weak magnet next to a strong one. The weak magnet's field will align itself to the strong magnet's field. A magnetic shockwave from the sun could cause the alignment of the Earth's magnetic field to shift unpredictably.

    "Pretty lights aren't the only consequence from a CME. The magnetic fluctuations can cause compasses to fail. And since magnetic fields can induce electricity, any conductor could become an inductor. A powerful CME could induce electricity in large, powerful conductors. That could overload electrical systems and cause massive damage."

    Read more:
    science.howstuffworks.com/sola

    #SolarCycle25 #CannibalCME #CarringtonEvent #CannibalCMEs

  5. @QuadRadical So, basically, if you are able to call your phone in whatever you're using as a #FaradayCage, it's NOT going to be effective against #EMPs.

    "Trefethen also points out that microwave ovens, despite their thick wires, are not perfect Faraday cages. That is because if you put your mobile phone – which communicates via microwaves – into an oven and call it, it will almost certainly ring."

    #SolarFlare #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #CMEs #CannibalCME #CarringtonEvent

  6. @QuadRadical Here we go...

    "There are some examples of Faraday cages that we use these days. Faraday cages can be quite complex or very simple, ranging from a shoebox to an entire building. Wrapping your phone in plastic and then wrapping it in aluminum foil, for example, creates a makeshift #FaradayCage."

    askthehomegeek.com/is-a-microw

    #SolarFlare #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #CMEs #CannibalCME #CarringtonEvent

  7. @QuadRadical Hmmmm... That may not work... I'd say maybe wrapping stuff up in aluminum foil might provide more protection. Wrapping them in foil and put them in the microwave *might* work.

    "A microwave is an electric oven that heats and cooks food by exposing it to microwave-frequency electromagnetic radiation. People use this to heat their foods quickly, and some are curious if microwaves can classify as an example of Faraday cages.

    "This article will show you what a faraday cage is and if a microwave is considered a faraday cage.

    Is a Microwave a #FaradayCage?

    "Simply put, Faraday Cages disperse electrostatic charge around their perimeter. As a result, they act as a barrier to anything within them.

    "In this regard, they are a hollow conductor in which the electromagnetic charge remains only on the cage’s external surface. But, as with many things, the reality is a little more complicated.

    "Microwave ovens are another common application for Faraday Cages. However, unlike other applications, they are designed to reverse and keep the microwave radiation within the oven. You can see a portion of the cage on the microwave oven’s transparent window.

    "Microwaves nowadays are not built and designed as a Faraday cage, but rather a 1/4 wave choke that effectively attenuates 2.4 GHz but not other frequencies.

    However,

    "A Faraday cage is from any material that conducts electricity. This cage could be wire mesh, metallic sheets, or wire coils. They can be any shape, such as a box, sphere, or cylinder, and any size, ranging from extremely small to extremely large.

    "According to Florida State University, the cage’s exterior can be as simple as aluminum foil. The outer covering, or conductor, can be as thin as foil, but thickening it will provide additional protection from more powerful electric fields."

    askthehomegeek.com/is-a-microw

    #SolarFlare #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #CarringtonEvent #CannibalCME

  8. I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I plan on making sure all my electronics are turned off and disconnected, and might put some of them in a makeshift #FaradayCage until after the #CMEs hit Earth. I'd like to think utilities and such will have learned from warnings from 2013, but then again, it's the human race we're talking about. Unless there's a buck to be made, we seem to be woefully unprepared for stuff that can happen -- unfortunately...

    "If a massive CME were spotted, such 3-day forecasts give us some lead time: there are some measures #ElectricUtilities could take to protect their equipment, such as quickly disconnecting #transformers. Polar flights, which travel at the highest altitudes, could be rerouted to avoid contact with damaging solar particles, and some #satellites could be switched into a #SafeMode to minimize damage. Here on Earth, at the very least, we’d have some time to prepare for potential power #blackouts and other problems."

    smithsonianmag.com/science-nat

    #SolarFlare #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25 #CannibalCME #CannibalCMEs #CarringtonEvent #CMEs

  9. I hope those in charge of all this stuff are taking the CME threat seriously.

    What Damage Could Be Caused by a Massive Solar Storm?

    An enormous solar storm could short out telecom satellites, radio communications, and power grids, leading to trillions of dollars in damages, experts say

    Joseph Stromberg
    February 22, 2013

    "If a CME as large as the one that triggered the 1859 storm were to occur today, the consequences could be devastating. Given the increase in our reliance on electricity and telecommunications (even since 1989), the effects would certainly be far more significant than malfunctioning telegraph pylons.

    "It’s hard to appreciate just how many aspects of modern life rely on technologies that could be affected. As Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics told National Geographic in 2011, 'Every time you purchase a gallon of gas with your credit card, that’s a satellite transaction.' A giant storm could disrupt our GPS systems, communication with planes in flight and other crucial satellite-based technologies.

    "But the biggest concern, experts say, would be disruptions to our power grid—as a 2011 OECD report (PDF) on the impacts of solar storms points out, 'Electric power is modern society’s cornerstone technology on which virtually all other infrastructures and services depend.' A surge in solar wind can blow out power transformers by melting their copper windings, and especially in highly interconnected regions (such as the East Coast), transformer failures can trigger cascading effects, spreading power outages over wide areas.

    "One analysis looked at a 1921 storm—which was ten times more powerful than the 1989 event—and estimated that if it occurred today, it would leave some 130 million people without power, potentially affecting water and food distribution, heating and air conditioning, sewage disposal and a host of other aspects of the infrastructure we take for granted daily. The total cost of an even larger storm, such as the 1859 event, could be enormous: an estimated $1 to $2 trillion in the first year alone, and a total recovery that could take 4 to 10 years in total."

    smithsonianmag.com/science-nat

    #SolarStorm #GeomagneticStorm #SolarFlares #CannibalCME #SolarFlare #SolarCycle25 #CarringtonEvent

  10. #SpaceWeather update from Spaceweather.com

    ARE WE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE A NEW CARRINGTON EVENT?

    "No. #AR3664 is indeed a '#Carrington-class' sunspot, but the #CMEs it hurled toward Earth over the past few days are not as potent as the monster CME of Sept. 1, 1859. NOAA says we might experience a severe geomagnetic storm when the CMEs arrive this weekend. If geomagnetic storms were hurricanes, 'severe' would be category 4. The Carrington Event was category 5 or greater. So this is no #CarringtonEvent. Even so, category 4 is pretty intense--if it happens.

    "FIVE CMEs ARE HEADING FOR EARTH: Great sunspot AR3664 has hurled an astonishing five CMEs toward Earth.

    "According to a NOAA forecast model, the first three CMEs could merge for form a 'Cannibal CME.' Cannibal CMEs form when fast-moving CMEs overtake and gobble up slower CMEs in front of them. Internal shock waves created by such CME collisions do an good job sparking geomagnetic storms when they strike Earth's magnetic field.

    "The #CannibalCME is expected to arrive on May 11th. It alone could spark a strong (G3) #GeomagneticStorm. With two more CMEs following close behind, storm levels could become extreme (G4), sparking auroras at mid- to low-latitudes across Europe and the USA."

    spaceweather.com/

    #SolarFlare #SolarFlares #SolarCycle25`

  11. Yucky #SpaceWeather and #terrestrialweather. No #POTA or Home operating today. My QTH antenna has been disconnected for days due to #solarflares and rain with imbedded thunderstorms. #AmateurRadio #Hamradio

  12. #SpaceWeather Update via #SolarHam

    "Earth Directed Halo #CME / #RadiationStorm

    March 23, 2024 @ 10:30 UTC

    "LASCO coronagraph imagery is updated and shows a full halo coronal mass ejection (CME) that is Earth directed. The main bulk of plasma seems to be heading north, however a noteworthy impact past our planet is likely within 72 hours and may trigger a geomagnetic storm once it arrives. Energetic particles did begin to reach our planet almost 3 hours after the flare event and a minor (S1) to moderate (S2) radiation storm is currently in progress."

    solarham.net

    #SolarFlares #SolarFlare #GeomagneticStorm #RadioBlackout #SolarCycle25

  13. Strong #MagneticStorm to hit soon: When and how to be prepared

    Story by Maria Kholina, January 2, 2024

    "Red-level magnetic storm is sweeping across the Earth, and many people may begin to feel a decline in well-being by the second half of today. The unsettled #magnetosphere will persist for the next few days, according to Meteoagent.

    Magnetic storms can lead to discomfort and change in well-being. #SolarFlares and explosions on the Sun release a significant amount of solar energy into space, consisting of charged particles such as protons and electrons. These particles, when reaching Earth's magnetosphere, create activity known as magnetic or solar storms.

    "Experts classify storms based on K-index, ranging from 1 to 9, with higher values indicating more intense storms and their potential impact. Storms with a K-index above 5 are classified as Red-level storms, capable of affecting human well-being.

    "Such storms can affect people's health, disrupt communication sources such as #satellites, #GPS, #CellTowers, and #radio frequencies. Storms with a K-index exceeding 7 may even result in polar #auroras.

    "As per data from NOAA, TESIS satellites, and international meteorological laboratories worldwide, a Red-level K-index 5 storm will hit the Earth in the second half of January 2. Throughout January 3, a K-index 4 storm will be observed, and on January 4, the Earth will once again experience a Red-level K-index 5 storm.

    "The magnetosphere will return to a calm state on January 5.

    "Experts classify storms based on K-index, ranging from 1 to 9, with higher values indicating more intense storms and their potential impact. Storms with a K-index above 5 are classified as Red-level storms, capable of affecting human well-being.

    "Such storms can affect people's health, disrupt communication sources such as satellites, GPRS, cell towers, and radio frequencies. Storms with a K-index exceeding 7 may even result in polar auroras.

    "Research indicates a correlation between magnetic storms and human well-being. People often complain of symptoms such as: headaches, dizziness, migraines, brain fog, daytime drowsiness, insomnia, decreased concentration, general weakness, rapid fatigue increased anxiety, irritability, exacerbation of chronic illnesses."

    msn.com/en-us/weather/topstori

    #SolarFlare #CME #SolarCycle25

  14. via Spaceweather.com

    Sunday, July 30, 2023

    "GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G2): Geomagnetic storms are possible on Aug. 1st when a #CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. Minor G1-class storms are likely with a chance of escalating to category G2. The CME was hurled almost directly toward Earth by the eruption of a magnetic filament in the sun's northern hemisphere on July 28th. Aurora alerts: SMS Text

    "#PROTONS ARE *STILL* HITTING EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE: For the second day in a row, energetic protons from the sun are raining down on Earth's atmosphere. This is called a "radiation storm" (S1-class), and it was caused by a magnificent eruption on July 28th.

    "The blast site was hidden from view just behind the sun's northwestern limb. Earth-orbiting satellites registered an M4-class solar flare, but the underlying explosion was stronger. It was probably an X-flare partially eclipsed by the edge of the sun.

    "How can a sunspot not facing Earth send so many protons in our direction? The answer is 'the #ParkerSpiral.' Take a look. As the sun spins, its magnetic field spirals like water flowing from a twirling lawn sprinkler. Lines of magnetic force emerging from behind the sun's northwestern limb (where the explosion happened) spiral back and make a direct connection to Earth. It's a superhighway for energetic protons.

    "This #RadiationStorm looks like it will continue at S1 levels for at least one more day. Its main effect is a polar cap absorption event (PCA) inside the Arctic Circle. Right now, #shortwave radios around the north pole aren't working very well."

    spaceweather.com/repeat_images

    #Spaceweather #SolarFlares #solarcycle25