A NEW Solar flare coming -- third largest on record

i'm wondering if it affects more than just satellite and phone lines. saw a tv documentary that solar flares affect the size and occurance of tsunamis. might also affect other natural phenomenons.

[Indemaijinj]

It is in times like these we should be grateful for the great magnet inside our planet.

It generates a magnetosphere that is very powerful for a small planet. As far as I know this magnetosphere (a big "shield" of charged particles caught by the magnetic Earth) is somehow able to absorb the brunt of most solar winds leaving the surfacers with mostly benign phenomena like aurora borealis and occasional electric failures.

[Firestormalpha]

Indemaijinj, correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the earth's core like a giant lump up metal, at least in theory? It's been awhile since I've had any science so I'm quite rusty on the subject.

[Sir Goulum]

Firestorm, watch the movie 'The Core'. Very educational [img]tongue.gif[/img]

And, Ziroc, what exactly do these fancy looking graphs mean? [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Kakero]

I just hope it doesn't destroy Earth's ozone layer.

[Gabrielles blades]

i hope it doesnt boil off the oceans or anything else that would end all life on the planet

[Azred]

See? See what Bush's disastrous environmental policies are causing?! The third most massive solar flares in recorded science! [img]tongue.gif[/img] (yes, and some nut will probably believe this, too)

Seriously, the motion of the liquid metals in the core of the Earth generate an intense magnetic sphere, which does indeed act like a "shock absorber" for us from such occurances. Burn off the ozone layer? [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img] Not likely. Make your cell phone useless for a while? Probably.

GForce, tsumani are normally caused only by earthquakes, landslides (whether into or under the water), volcanic eruptions, or meteoric impact (none of those in recorded history, though).

The fancy-looking graphic is a simple density chart, plotting the number of particles of a given energy (green for >= 100 MeV, etc.) per square centimeter, as time progresses. Interesting how the density fluctuates wildly just before the flare...I must correct myself..."coronal mass ejection". [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img]

Ziroc, I've meant to ask this before but never have. Are you merely interested in astrophysics, currently studying/have studied the subject, or currently working the the field?

[ 10-29-2003, 12:33 AM: Message edited by: Azred ]

[Ziroc]

Originally posted by Azred: See? See what Bush's disastrous environmental policies are causing?! The third most massive solar flares in recorded science! [img]tongue.gif[/img] (yes, and some nut will probably believe this, too) Seriously, the motion of the liquid metals in the core of the Earth generate an intense magnetic sphere, which does indeed act like a "shock absorber" for us from such occurances. Burn off the ozone layer? [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img] Not likely. Make your cell phone useless for a while? Probably. GForce, tsumani are normally caused only by earthquakes, landslides (whether into or under the water), volcanic eruptions, or meteoric impact (none of those in recorded history, though). The fancy-looking graphic is a simple density chart, plotting the number of particles of a given energy (green for >= 100 MeV, etc.) per square centimeter, as time progresses. Interesting how the density fluctuates wildly just before the flare...I must correct myself..."coronal mass ejection". [img]graemlins/petard.gif[/img] Ziroc, I've meant to ask this before but never have. Are you merely interested in astrophysics, currently studying/have studied the subject, or currently working the the field?

I've taken some classes on it, and keep up with all the latest info.. It's a field I find amazing. [img]smile.gif[/img] --confusing sometimes, but amazing.. Actually the science that is in my sci-fi comic 'intruders on earth' has a LOT of real science facts in it, which I find give the story more realism--even though it's sci-fi related.


To others: a CmE, if powerful enough, could cook the Earths Atmosphere, but it would have to be a LOT stronger than even this hit. The most that will happen is we will get a lot of high-band radio outages (Ham Radio will be crazy) And the Northern Lights may be seen as far south in the next few days as Oklahoma. In 2000, We had some CmE's that brought the Northern Lights seen as far south as Puerto Rico. THAT is amazing.

Most Orbiting satellites have what is called a 'lockdown mode' and they move them to a safe area (on the other side of the planet if need be) or turn to shield it's systems from the brunt of the storm.

[Sir Taliesin]

Just read on CNN that the Aurora may be seen as far south as Texas and Florida. On another note we are having spotty power outages here in Knoxville. I wonder if this could be due to the Solar storm? I know the main body hasn't reached earth yet, but I understand the first wave has already pasted.

[Firestormalpha]

I don't know if this is related, but about 2 am we had some massive thunder storm sweep through the area. It was really wierd, very little rain, and a whole LOT of lightning. Also the sky had this eerie orange red glow to it. Never seen a storm like that.