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An unusually strong X2.1-class solar flare blasted out from the sun on Tuesday, but experts say the outburst shouldn't impact Earth significantly — unless you're a fan of the northern lights. Auroral displays could be somewhat brighter on Friday, when a wave of electrically charged particles ejected by the blast is expected to deal a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field.
The flare from sunspot 1283 peaked at 6:20 p.m. ET, according to the science team for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which observed the event in ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. X-class flares are the most powerful types of events, capable of triggering radio blackouts. This flare was associated with a coronal mass ejection, an eruption of a giant cloud of solar material. If such an ejection hits our planet's magnetic field just wrong, it can disrupt electrical grids and satellites. Fortunately, most of the material ejected on Tuesday will go far above the planet, space-weather forecasters say.
A less energetic flare was sighted in the same region of the sun's disk earlier in the day. The recent upswing in solar activity suggests that the sun is on its way toward the peak of its 11-year cycle, after an unusually long quiet stretch. Experts expect the peak to come in 2013.
More about the power of the sun:
- Watch a NASA video of the X2.1-class solar flare
- Solar flares can pack a powerful double burst
- Solar flare activity continues to increase
- Sunspots used to improve solar storm warnings
- Solar cycle sparks doomsday buzz
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The aurora means the ozone hole is bigger and the molecules from the sun have slipped through the ozone layer and the magnitic field.
It's "magnetic", not "magnitic" and you haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about anyway.
Somebody seems to have slipped through the Bozone layer.
The auroras are seeping in to that ozone hole? Dammit we have a leak again.
Actually, charged particles from the flare and c.m.e. flow down the magnetic field lines of the Earth. The aurora is plasma generated along the field lines through excitation of molecules in the atmosphere. I think.
Hot stuff, comin' through!
I've only seen the northern lights once out in western MA. They looked like green ribbon candy and they danced for a good 1/2 hour. Even though they were very faint, they were beautiful to look at.
Seems like we're pretty lucky avoiding these ejections, wonder what happens when one hits us dead on?
blather, it wipes out much of our satellites, and most of the rest of the energy is deflected by the earth's magnetic field. We are constantly taking the "solar wind" and a solar flare burst is a minor spike compared to the constant energy released by the sun.
If you want a real disaster to worry about (as opposed to the extremely remote possibilities like asteroid impacts, supervolcanoes, and so on), do some reading about the 1859 solar storm. It's happened before (and not all that long ago), and if it happened again tomorrow, the effects would be catastrophic. Imagine having no electricity, not for a few days, but for a few months. No food production or delivery, no running water, no communications, no transportation. We'd be tossed back to the 19th Century in a heartbeat. The Amish would be OK, but the rest of us would probably starve to death.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110302-solar-flares-sun-storms-earth-danger-carrington-event-science/
SOLAR FLARE! Eeeeeek! Everybody DUCK!
cant wait to see the sky light up ....and very nice screen saver thanks ya'all