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Sun Fires Solar Storm Directly at Earth [but only Aurora activity is expected]
space.com ^ | August 20, 2013 02:18pm ET | Mike Wall, Senior Writer

Posted on 08/21/2013 11:46:26 AM PDT by BenLurkin

The sun unleashed a powerful storm early Tuesday morning (Aug. 20), sending an enormous cloud of superheated particles rocketing toward Earth.

The solar eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), occurred at 4:24 a.m. EDT (0824 GMT) Tuesday and blasted billions of tons of solar particles toward Earth at a mind-boggling speed of 2 million mph (3.3 million km/h). ... Tuesday's blast doesn't appear to have too much disruptive potential.

"In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength have usually been mild," NASA officials wrote.

CMEs that hit Earth can also ramp up the auroras, also known as the northern and southern lights. In fact, an enhanced auroral display may be on tap tonight and tomorrow for some skywatchers, thanks to a CME that erupted on Saturday (Aug. 17).

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: aurora; cme; coronalmassejection; solar; solarstorm; sun
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To: Therapsid

That was a lucky shot, yeah. A lucky shot.

What’s the old saying Lightning don’t strike twice in the same place?


21 posted on 08/21/2013 2:00:05 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi --)
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To: struggle
Yep, misleading article title. If one reads the article it says it's going to miss us by a bit, BUT Earth will pass through it's trail....

Unlikely to have much affect at all on radio wave propagation ... DAMN!

22 posted on 08/21/2013 4:28:06 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative

Yeah, all these people talk about how propagation was banging in the 60s and 70s and my little 100 watt Yaesu isn’t going anywhere.


23 posted on 08/21/2013 7:40:51 PM PDT by struggle
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To: struggle
I managed to work Israel yesterday (4Z5LA) with nothing more than 100 watts and my tri-bander. Took awhile to break through the pile-up to him without my amplifier.

Sent that off for repair last week, haven't had much of a need for it since....

24 posted on 08/21/2013 7:43:57 PM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: usconservative

Yeah, I’ve been working Europe and even Australia! recently. Far Asia seems a reach though.


25 posted on 08/21/2013 9:39:55 PM PDT by struggle
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To: Kip Russell

High cirrostratus clouds and a full moon washed out the entire sky except for a dozen or so of the brightest stars.

No hope of seeing an aurora.

And it’s been cloudy on and off today and is raining now.


26 posted on 08/22/2013 5:31:32 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: metmom
Bummer...we're at a peak in the current Solar Cycle (#24 for those who are counting), so there should be plenty of other opportunities in the near future.


27 posted on 08/22/2013 6:33:46 PM PDT by Kip Russell (Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors -- and miss. ---Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Kip Russell

I hope so. I understand that for some reason, March and September are peak aurora months.

I’ll keep an eye out.

Thanks.


28 posted on 08/22/2013 8:53:29 PM PDT by metmom (For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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