Big Solar Storm Will Hit Earth Friday

CBC News ^

[webber]

Big solar storm will hit Earth Friday Oct 24th

BOULDER, COLO. - A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to hit Earth on Friday. Scientists say it may knock out electrical grids and satellite communications.

A "sunspot cluster" said to be 10 times the size of Earth could damage satellites and power grids, as well as cable TV, pager and cellular telephone service.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder, Colo., say it is one of the largest sunspot clusters in years.

Larry Combs, a forecaster at the federal Space Environment Center in Boulder, says the sunspot cluster released a chunk of the sun's outer atmosphere early Wednesday morning.

NASA's Goddard Space Center says the sunspot clusters produce a "coronal mass ejection" – an explosion of gas and charged particles from the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.

In 1997, television networks in the U.S. were affected when satellites used to beam programming to local stations were knocked out of service.

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Written by CBC News Online

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[ForGod'sSake]

Whoa! Break out the sunglasses.

FGS

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[eddie willers]

Oh great!
(I sell Dish Network)

My phone will be ringing off the hook with puzzled (and angry) customers.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

What will we do if FR gets knocked offline?

[Keith in Iowa]

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Check that out for everything you'd ever want to know about these things. Plus, it might also cause some Northern Lights to be seen further South than usual.

[dmeara]

Get them to go cable.

[CarolAnn]

That usually means brilliant Auroras as well....

[GeronL]

aluminum foil hat time? Maybe an umbrella?

[ChemistCat]

I wear my sunglasses at night:



Supposedly we may be able to see some aurora borealis as far south as Texas, thanks to this storm.

[CarolAnn]

You beat me to it. I type slow...:)

[fuquadukie]

Big solar storm will hit Earth Friday Oct 24th

Women, children & minorities to be hardest hit

[VeniVidiVici]

You just know that this is due to global warming.

[xrp]

Sounds like I better work from home tomorrow.

[xrp]

Women, children & minorities to be hardest hit

Democrats blame Bush.

[July 4th]

If the sun is disturbing satellites, cable will be out too. Ever see a solar transit event take out a handful of channels?

[GeronL]

What will we do if FR gets knocked offline?

That can't happen! FR is the only thing jkeeping the internet from going kaput, without FR there would be NO internet. Interest would dry up. JimRob invented the real internet you know.

The Admin Moderator will do his best to protect the main trunk service going.

I have it on good authority that the Free Republic Emergency Management Agency is pulling out all stops for this eveny.

Long live FREMA!!

[teletech]

SOLAR STORM TO HIT EARTH! RATS BLAME BUSH!

[Exit148]

Sounds series.

[Dixielander]

Amazing and strange events are happening all over the world. I'm overwhelmed! Thanks for the post.

[concerned about politics]

Damn those Bush tax cuts! If it weren't for them, this wouldn't be happening!

[PoorMuttly]

Note to self :

1) add extra layers to Tinfoil Hat

2) unplug Transporter

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Signal propogation for low frequency AM radio signals should be at extreme levels when this coronal mass ejection hits the ionosphere.

I'm going to start warming up my radios and amps right now. I should be able to QSO with Hams in Europe on Friday night.

[concerned about politics]

Scientists say it may knock out electrical grids and satellite communications.

Creepy. I feel so vaunerable. (No FR?)

[Samwise]

http://members.yourlink.net/jgerard/gort/cinder.wav

[explodingspleen]

Not if they use cellphones, they won't. :-P

[uglybiker]

aluminum foil hat time? Maybe an umbrella?

Try a suit.

[eddie willers]

Not if they use cellphones, they won't. :-P

Good idea!
I'll forward all the calls to MINE!

[kayak]

ping

[Keith in Iowa]

Check out the pic on http://www.venhaus1.com/ - way cool.

[GeronL]

well, thats a look I have been needing n my life

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Try a suit.

This suit suits me better.

[sd-joe]

And hugh.

[Brad's Gramma]

Way cool is putting THAT lightly!!!

[Lunatic Fringe]

Same warnings have been issued on a regular basis for years.

[Poohbah]

SCHWING!

[fqued]

Supposedly we may be able to see some aurora borealis as far south as Texas, thanks to this storm.

Are you serious? I'm above you in Colorado (both on the map, re north, and also much higher altitude; but not necessarily in wisdom and stature), and I have never yet seen the Aurora Borealis. Since I live in Aurora, it would be cool to see the Auroras from here.

[Deep_6]

Isn't that Barbara Reynolds, heiress of aluminum foil
tycoon M. Reynolds?

(nice box!)

 

[Timesink]

Any ETA here? Friday noon Eastern? 5 pm? 11 pm?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Isn't that Barbara Reynolds

Liz Hurley.

[Keith in Iowa]

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[reflecting]

LOL

[Deep_6]

Arraagghh.....

 

The box:

 

 

 

 

[concerned about politics]

It's a huge flair up!! (More info here)

[Auntie Dem]

That is way cool. Lotta green.

During the winter of 1968-69 I was about 200 miles north of Edmonton, Alberta when I saw the aurora up close and personal. It still remains one of my most memorable life experiences. I swear I could actually HEAR the aurora making a "swish--swish" sound like an icy shower curtain folding over itself. It looked like it was only a few hundred feet above my head. Totally awesome! What I saw was more purpleish, and rainbow-like, with much less green.

[ex-Texan]

Live Space Cam Images

[montomike]

Sure hope its not the kill Shot!

Kill Shot: When a solar flare is emitted from the sun and the earth is in its path and we all turn into brauts!

[des]

Hugh.

[Dave S]

Are you serious? I'm above you in Colorado (both on the map, re north, and also much higher altitude; but not necessarily in wisdom and stature), and I have never yet seen the Aurora Borealis. Since I live in Aurora, it would be cool to see the Auroras from here.

There was an aurora this Spring I believe that was visible as far south as California and Texas. Really big solar storm caused that one.