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Subscribe to RSSA solar flare disrupts radio communication in Europe and is expected to light up the sky in the coming days. Msnbc.com's Richard Lui reports.
The sun sent out a flare powerful enough to disrupt radio communications over Europe today, along with an eruption of electrically charged particles that just might sweep past Earth's magnetic field in time to spark a Fourth of July show of auroral fireworks.
The M5.6-class solar flare, observed by NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory at 6:52 a.m. ET (10:52 GMT), was almost powerful enough to cross over from the medium M-class category to an extreme X-class event, SpaceWeather.com's Tony Phillips noted. "A pulse of X-rays and UV radiation from the flare illuminated Earth's upper atmosphere, producing waves of ionization over Europe," he wrote.
Such waves can spark bursts of radio static, as recorded by Rob Stammes in Norway and noted by the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center. "Radio blackout storms have been observed in the past 24 hours," the center reported on its Facebook page.
SpaceWeather.com says the solar eruption threw out a coronal mass ejection, or CME — not directly toward Earth, but in a southerly celestial direction. In the video above, you can see the solar material blurping downward and outward from a monster sunspot region known as AR 1515.
Phillips writes that the "south-traveling cloud could deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetosphere on July 4th or 5th." However, the Space Weather Prediction Center says the CME "is not expected to disturb the field during the forecast period."
The sun is in the midst of an upswing in its 11-year activity cycle, heading toward an expected maximum in 2013. Right now there are five sunspot regions on the sun's Earth-facing side, and two of them — 1513 and 1515 — are considered capable of sending out M-class flares. Such flares are generally associated with moderate disruption of radio communication and navigation systems. As for today's CME, the most likely effect will be heightened displays of the northern and southern lights.
CME or not, it looks as if it's a good week for auroras, judging from the pictures being sent in to SpaceWeather.com's real-time image gallery. The prime time for auroras generally begins at just about the time of night that the fireworks shows are finishing up. And there's more to see besides the fireworks: This happens to be a great week for seeing the full moon and Mars in sunset skies, or seeing Jupiter and Venus just before dawn. Sky and Telescope has the week's rundown.
So if you're out and about on the night of the Fourth, sit back and enjoy the fireworks — whether they're terrestrial or celestial in origin. And if you happen to snap a great picture of the northern or southern lights, please share it with us via our FirstPerson photo upload page. If we get some good ones, we'll pass 'em along after the Fourth.
Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts,baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States ....
So I guess this year we can add some northern and southern lights to the celebration ....
Happy 4th of July to all ....
Thanks Alan Boyle ....
Unfortunately, bigbenalaska, with the constant sunlight up there, the northern lights this July 4th cannot be fully appreciated.....maybe in a few months there will be another big solar flare.
Ra has spoken - or as Alan wrote; blurped. Any guesses where blurps come out of?
About how many solar flares does the sun send out on average per year? My old Windows XP can't take too many blurps - it's on its last legs as it is.
Even the LORD celebrates the birth of His chosen nation, America!
Shandril
I don't know what Bible you've bee reading but the Israelites are God's chosen children/nation. And even they have been punished for their transgressions.
America was a favored family friend but we've been acting like spoiled ungrateful brats as of late. Unless we come collectively to Him with our heads low askng real politely for His forgiveness don't expect Him to be coming to our rescue, we have spit in His face and refused His counsel for too long and too much.
We've driven God out of our schools and our lives, what does He owe us (NOTHING).
The Covenant of Grace established by Christ has nothing to do with any nation. It is a gift (which can be refused) offered to all regardless of race, ethnicity. or nationality
Do you now when things really started to change in this country is was during the 60's. The Supreme Court outlawed prayer in public school in 1963.
The problems and contentiuosnes we have now with homosexuality, child discipline, increased pedophilia an on and on. (Ask your granparents or parents in the 50 and early 60's these problems excisted but were way way less) It is a curse God warned us of in Romans 1
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Rom 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Rom 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Damn you MayANSSsss! ; ]
Chers
All it will take is a solid hit from an X-class flare and people might start listening to Dave. Too bad they won't be able to log on to their PCs then.
That might not be a bad thing, eh?
All you people have missed the obvious. Just another case of global warming.
Dave's not here (or there)!
Dave93921: Luke 18:9-14
Ebeneezer
Are you concerned you are the Pharisee? Concern is a good start.
I know I am no better than the publican.
Margret Mead said it all. "This generation is no worse than the last. They just don't pull down the shades." All of the things that are being decried have always been there, they were just pushed under the table in the past. It was unseemly to speak about them.
BEN, up there in the land of the midnight sun. Ill go out and check it out and let ya know. Pretty cool and good timing!
Have a happy 4th roc1960 ....
Dave93921: Copy and Paste means nothing!!!! And only serves to turn people off to the message! They skip over what you preach because it comes across as "lecture" and "warning!"
The problem is that when you normalize bad behavior you change the ramifications of it. When you make it ok to do things that were previously considered taboo more people do it and more people are hurt by it. As a general rule behaviours are taboo for a reason. I understand that is not always the case but we as a society seem to be jumping into every forbidden activity possible. This can be an issue when the implications may take years, decades or even generations to be felt.
We, as a society, have a bad case of hubris. We think we are so much more evolved, so much more intelligent, so much wiser. Maybe we are like so many young teenagers - certain we know more than our parents only to find a decade later that the old folks were not that foolish after all. I am not saying we need to be hide bound and cling to every foolish prejudice our ancestors ever came up with. I am just saying that our "do it because it feels good" society might be slightly short sighted to put it mildly.
Same to you BEN enjoy the celebration of our Independence!
Sag-876555
The point is many if not all of us, including myself need some lecture and warning. Only the fool does not realize their ignorance.
Pro_1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Dave: Ephesians 4:29-32 Ironic that it was today's lauds reading.
-
Ebenezzer,
If you are going to reference a scripture, please provide such so that all can read it.
If the verses were directed to me, please explain were I have either misrepresented God's words or have demeaned anyone (intentionally or unintentionally)?
The real unkindness is to give people platitudes never challenging them to think for themselves so that they remain in ignorance and under an other's control. We all are ignorant, very much including myself. The hope is that we realize our ignorance and make the effort to learn and by learning realize how much more we are ignorant.
If one thinks they are ignorant that is a badge of wisdom. The arrogant and the foolish refuse to accept their ignorance. Never take someones word for something just because they say it is so or they have a degree. Search out the truth for yourself. Know what you believe and why you believe it, not because some pastor, priest or shaman said it was so.
Yay! God loves us again, after his displeasure over the Supreme Court's decision on health care! God loves Obamacare now!
All he could muster up was an M class flare? ROFLMAO
I knew we couldn't get through this w/o a political comment! LOL So is this Bush or Obama's fault?
I'm surprised that a M-flare caused any disruptions at all
Really...God and Obama care
William...It was close to being classified an x-class solar flare
It is close o the 4th...the fireworks will get better as the year goes along
An M5.6 is not really all that far from being an X class. Interestingly enough if you look at the videos of this one vs. the big X5.4 back in March, this one looks more dramatic. M class flares are noted for causing "mild" disruptions and this was a pretty big M class flare. The CME from this flare looks pretty large too, but it takes a while to get here and the trajectory isn't aimed directly at us.
Classes are measured as amounts of energy in the form of X-ray flux that hits a GEOS satellite. The timing, "target area" and other conditions like the state of the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere at the time and location will have some variability as to how significant the impact is. The article really doesn't get too specificabout the disruptions. Depending on the sytem effected, a brief interruption could potentially cause a bigger disruption as it may take time to bring the system back to normal. A flare might cause just some brief static on a walkie-talkie, but could also bring down a networked system that takes longer to restore. We know that M class flares have enough energy to cause problems, but how significant those problems are could depend on a lot of things.
The CME, if aimed right at us can be far more significant than the initial flare that produces a burst of energy that quickly subsides. The CME gets spread across a large volume of space and its effects will be longer lasting as it takes time to arrive and travel past the Earth. The magnetic storms associated with these two spots appear to be pretty active and as they interact, more flares from this pair are very possible.
I don't believe you can really judge the potential based upon what it looks like, but this one was pretty impressive.
We don't see auroras where I live, so instead I'm going to ignite a plasma reaction in the atmosphere. Ooooh pretty lights, and then painful burning death immediately afterward. Worth it.
Give or take a week or so...that's around the time we have the galactic alignment on 12-21-2012...
Note to self: pick up some industrial strength tinfoil and a new Mayan calendar.
As viewed from Earth, the Sun nearly aligns with the galactic center every year around December 21.
DonKeehaawtee............ Thank you, for making me laugh........
Me too Don! Do you think the mayans could have been a year ahead of themselves or are we still on target!
Just wondering.
This video with different filters really gives a better perspective. www.youtube.com/watch?v=e111D0v8NpQ&feature=player_embedded
It really makes the double spot nature of the flare more obvious. I am not sure if it is the case, but it seems like the double spot arrangement might be capable of some significant flares more so than a similar sized single spot. Anyway, it's a great video of this flare.
It was good , thanks ....
Great color spectrum usage ....
Alan posted a video with a portion of that one in it somewhere .... ??
Which observatory is this video from? We have a solar observatory here in Tucson - kind of boring, no cool colors like the video shows (for the public anyway). I've been meaning to reserve a night to go sky watching there, along with Bio Sphere 2 and the local caves... man I'm slowing down (getting old, ugh), or everything else is speeding up.
They say you are as young as you feel ....
Some days I feel much older than I am .... "LOL"
I'm not sure where they get all their data from but I suspect it's multiple sources. Check out the video poster's youtube page or go to solarwatcher.net. They've got a lot of great stuff on their page and some impressive videos.
agreed, TY!
the beginning of he end, .Solar flares are part of the predictions of scientists and myans.
Of course the end is coming...some day.... (The end of what?)
TEOTWAWKI
You realize, of course, that the Mayans were really a marketing firm.
The local governments discovered that end-of-the-world predicitions were good for generator and battery sales, so they kicked it up a notch (human sacrifice and the such), but after they realized that the refinment process to make the gasoline for the generators was beyond their technology, the market collapsed. Afterwards, with huge amounts of unskilled marketing types meandering aimless through the jungles, the social systems also collapsed under the weight, thereby leaving the priests in charge, but as they had no power in the absence of good marketing, they too disappeared, leaving only the ancient ruins we see today.
That is why I dont follow the Mayan calendar (or anyone else who believes in human sacrifice and couldnt invent the wheel)
And I feel fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
It's the end of the world as we know it.
Cee -
Good post. I always wondered, also, about that 5,000 year-old battery that was found in Mogolia (if I remeber correctly). Perhaps they were receiving product offers from the Mayans on their mobile communication devices?
mpa4893349 - That's absolutley correct!! (very astute). It turns out that the Mayan pyramids were really cell towers, but due to al the alien influences at the time (nazca lines, and the such), the transmissions were garbled. The Mongolian thought they were ordering battering rams, but instead got the batteries. Many historians believe this is what originally ticked them off so much, and made them such fierce warriors. (That, and a steady diet of yak milk and horse dung)
Why do we see those beautiful lights?
Prescription medication.
I see beautiful lights without prescriptions...
I am hoping, that while we are in solar maxi mus, that I get to see the northern lights, again. They are amazing to see, even the faint ones you would see in Minnesota. We have 3 more camping trips scheduled until late September, I cross my fingers. No matter what, it is always amazing to see the stars without artificial city lights.
Only because someone I know is having one tomorrow, oops, later today...I wonder which would be worse, having a CAT scan or an MRI during a solar flare?
No that I have any clue about it, but I would imagine neither?
It was a radiation verses magnetism musing. Probably the power would just go out.
As long as the flares aren't coming from Uranus I'll be happy!
And there it is....the Uranus reference :)
Bound to happen..."butt" well placed.
This was a strong solar flare and the earth may get a glancing blow from the CME, hence the auroras. All relatively minor. I wonder what will happen to communications and electric power if we have another "Carrington Event", which occurred in 1859.
It might be difficult to say if another wasof similar magnitude because we simply don't have data to quantify how big it was. However we can get some relative idea based on the reported occurrences at the time. I think it is safe to say that the Carrington event was a very big flare with a massive CME.
It is highly unlikely that we could ride that out without significantly huge damage. When you think about how basic and simple the telegraph system was and the associated damage done to it, I wouldn't doubt that total grid failure would be possible. I would also suspect that satellites would take some major hits and destroying, (making non-functional), a bunch of them seems plausible.
The question would be how much long term damage would be done. If you destroy a bunch of transformers, which seems entirely possible, things could be down for a long time. Generally speaking, these are made to order items. There aren't a lot of big power transformers "sitting on the shelf". They are physically large too and not easy to move around the country either. Power companies do have some spares of smaller units but often the fix for a large failed unit is to do a work around on the grid and start building a replacement. The problem is that with widespread grid damage, those work around options start to disappear. I see it as entirely possible for some areas to be without power for months.
Communication systems would very likely take a hit too but as a lot of network stuff is being switched to fiber, that part of the infrastructure probably survives just fine. When you look at cellular networks, one advantage is that it is very highly distributed. That suggests that parts could survive just fine well others could have major damage. Loss of satellites would hurt too and these aren't easily replaced. No doubt, there would be significant interruptions for a while but I think within a relatively short period you have a lot of local systems working again but you'd probably be left with a lot of "dead zones" that might be off network for awhile.
The damage to the power grid would likely have the biggest impact from a long term perspective. I have no doubt that life would change significantly. If you get a lot of major areas without power for a while, you can be almost certain that the whole economy comes to very nearly a screeching halt.
Although we can't be sure in a quantitative way just how big Carrington was, I think we can reasonably say that we haven't had one that bad since. It is also reasonable to say that the impact today would be far greater than it was then because there simply wasn't that much to get interrupted or damaged 150 years ago. I think it's safe to say, that we don't want to see one of that level re-occur.
I think a really interesting question is that if a really big flare occurs and you know a really big CME is on the way, can you or do you deliberately take things down in an effort to limit damage? Some precautionary measures are taken today, but how big is big enough to take the precautions to a very disruptive level? I don't think we really know. I don't think you need to worry about a lot of people dropping like flies, but another Carrington event could very well be a world changer.
so I take it that since I live in Las Vegas I have no chance of seeing these auroral lights? And thanks to the most recent third to keep on topic... How God and the bible, Obamacare, and the Mayans (well I can see that a little) got blended into this is beyond me..
Probably the solar flares got into their apples and pc's and the messages got scrambled. (lost in translation). :-)
I've heard of auroras being seen as far south as Arizona but I'm guessing we would have to take a pretty direct hit for that.
I think I detected a disruption last night whilst yapping on the wireless phone to junior in Ft. Worth, but it could been more alien communications gone awry.
Dave , I think it has a lot more to do with the 24/7 news cycle. Most of us in the 60's, didn't even know people or places more than 25 miles away. One murder, rape, or child abuse case was rare, because everything was local, not national. Don't blame lack of pray, that is now and always was intended to be a personal thing, not a forced thing.
One would think this would BLOW A HUGE HOLE IN THE GLOBAL WARMING THEORY!!!
How so? Just asking.
I guess because spot thinks that global warming suggests that all natural processes, both regarding Earth and the rest of the universe, cease to exist just because Al Gore made a movie?
No, it wouldn't, because the amount of extra thermal energy the Earth receives from these events is small compared to the Sun's usual heat. NASA data shows only about a 0.1% variation in solar energy since 1978 (with no clear trend other than the 11-year cycle), during which time global average temperatures have risen by over 1 deg F.
All this stuff about the weather being crazy, the sun putting out major solar flares, the Venus transit, tsunamis, earthquakes, the earths tilt seeming to be off, the Mayan Calendar, strange sounds...Gabriel?. I remember quite a while back on one night, there was a meteor shower, a halo around the moon, and mars was the closest to earth it had been in years. I remember saying that night, alright alright God, it's the signs in the heavens, we get it lol, get over it. And it really has just gone downhill from there. And I'm not really that religious. Just sayin, lol.
I have worked in the field of space weather for over 30 years. It is highly likely the prediction of a significant geomagnetic storm at Earth is wrong. The size of the flare was just a "Medium" flare of very short duration. It is extremely difficult to predict the effects of a CME at Earth, and to date, even the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center is only good at it near the 50% level. Solar Physics is still in its infancy.
well as i see it , we known about it for a long time now , when the cars with their computers in them an cell phones an dightal tvs stop working no electric , an the theory of planet x shows up , an when the mooon turns red an the dead start walking , well some of this is fact almost all of the cultures said something like this will happen i hope not , but keep a look out for the signs of the end , an all the solar stuff this years either god waking up or he telling us something , an he or she , well had all the 7 signs already from earth quakes floods storms almost of alkinds an our militry sending more ships to the gulf because of iran ???, things are happening that was said long long ago even before the new world was found , your guess is good as mine !!!!????
the end is near??? !!! we all going to fry tomorrow ?!!! I am going shopping today till I drop, max all my credit cards, my last day on Earth F*** the banks !! I just told my boss he has bad breath and called his wife stupid cow!!
False alarm ....
Heheheeee Jokes on you!
Some day we will go from high tech *BAM* right in to NO TECH !
Many well be totally out of their tree , you want to see" ADDICTION " just Waite and see !
our Addiction to tech is never spoke of but can you imagine how out of waak things will be ?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> IT WILL HAPPEN <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< ???
Did somebody turn the heat on?
I should go to the beach and take X-rays of people as they walk by. Thats would freak everyone out. lol.
Pretend you work in an airport.
I dont understand why the 4th is associated with Europe as far as suggesting fireworks. Does Europe partake in 4th festivities too...just an excuse to party? Or is there an expected Aurora over the U.S. on the night of the 4th?
I live WAY down South and I wished I lived some place where I could see the Aurora. The one and only time we could see a little bit of it was in winter 1989. Totally cool. One of the things on my bucket list would be to go somewhere up North to REALLY see it.