Solar Activity Ramps Up - Warning Issued

[Opmmur]

October 21, 2012

JUST IN: Solar Activity Ramps Up - Warning Issued​

​

by Mitch Battros - Earth Changes Media​

​

Solar activity has increased to active during the past 24 hours, featuring a long duration M9.1 flare and six C flares.​

​

The M9.1 flare was released by sunspot region 1598 on the east limb of the Sun and peaked at 18:14 UT on October 20th. A high-speed shock wave registered 516 kilometers per second (320 miles per second) observed at 18:15 UT. An associated CME was observed by LASCO C2 at 19:00 UT, but is not directed towards Earth.​

​

​

​

Earlier today sunspot region 1596 produced a M1.3 (2003UT), C7.8 (0316UT), and C5.6 (0534UT). Both regions 1596 and 1598 maintain potential for further isolated M-class to X-class activity.​

​

Solar wind speed is expected to increase slightly days one and two under the influence of a coronal hole wind stream. NASA and NOAA has issued a WARNING for high flying aircraft, the ISS, NSSO and NSTAC due to an increased possibility of satellite deep dielectric discharge.​

​

​

​

In a flux of high energy charged particles, they penetrate the spacecraft or satellite's outer surface and bury themselves in dielectric materials such as circuit boards and the insulation in coaxial cables. The buildup of charge will continue until the dielectric strength of the material is exceeded, when a sudden electrical discharge will occur. This miniature lightning stroke can cause permanent damage in the associated or nearby circuitry.​

​

​

​

Watch for increased extreme weather events which include earthquake, volcano, tornado, and cyclone activity over the next 48 to 72 hours.​

 

[Himalayan Hermit]

I captured 4 clear sunspots today in a picture posted on this thread.

 

[TnWatchdog]

By: SPACE.com Staff
Published: 01/02/2013 08:12 AM EST on SPACE.com
As people around the world rang in the New Year to celebrate Earth's latest trip around the sun Monday night, our closest star marked the occasion with some fireworks of its own — a dazzling solar eruption.
The space fireworks occurred on New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) during a four-hour eruption on the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of the solar event. The video shows a bright plume of super-magnetic plasma erupting from the sun's surface.
"A very nice display of solar activity — it's a New Year's Eve Ballet," SDO officials wrote in a video description posted on YouTube by the mission mascot Camilla Corona SDO, a public outreach effort.

The SDO spacecraft is one of several sun-watching space telescopes keeping taps on solar flares and other sun weather events.
The sun is currently in an active phase of its current 11-year weather cycle, which scientists have dubbed Solar Cycle 24. The sun's activity cycle is expected to reach its peak (or "solar maximum") in 2013, astronomers have said.
"The sun has had sunspots every day in 2012. Solar max here we come!" SDO mission officials wrote in a Twitter post last week.
Follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

• Anatomy of Sun Storms & Solar Flares (Infographic)
• The Sun's Wrath: Worst Solar Storms in History
• Monster Sunspot Triggers Big Solar Flares (Photos)

 

[TnWatchdog]

Always intersting...solar flares
Sunspot AR1654 Getting Bigger, Unleashes Solar Flare In M1-Class Blast, NASA Officials Say
Posted: 01/12/2013 2:45 am EST | Updated: 01/12/2013

By: SPACE.com Staff
Published: 01/11/2013 06:02 PM EST on SPACE.com
The surface of the sun erupted in a solar flare early today (Jan. 11), unleashing a blast of super-heated plasma into space.
A huge sunspot known as AR1654 produced the M1-class flare at 4:11 a.m. EST (0911 GMT), officials with NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory said in a description of the event. The SDO spacecraft is one of several sun-watching space telescopes keeping tabs on solar flares and other sun weather events.
According to Spaceweather.com, sunspot AR1654 is growing more active and is now "crackling with M-class solar flares" like the one that erupted today.
"AR1654 is getting bigger as it turns toward Earth," the website reported. "Not only is the chance of flares increasing, but also the chance of an Earth-directed eruption. This could be the sunspot that breaks the recent lengthy spell of calm space weather around our planet."

This composite image shows the sun's active region AR1654 (marked) compared to the sizes of the Earth and Jupiter. Image posted by NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory outreach officials Jan. 9, 2013.
The sun is in an active phase of its current 11-year weather cycle, which scientists call Solar Cycle 24. The sun's activity cycle is expected to reach its peak (or "solar maximum") in 2013, astronomers have said.
The most powerful solar flares, X-class flares, have the most significant effect on Earth. They can cause long-lasting radiation storms in our planet's upper atmosphere and trigger radio blackouts.
Medium-size M-class flares can cause brief radio blackouts in the polar regions and occasional minor radiation storms. C-class flares, the weakest in scientists' three-tiered classification system, have few noticeable consequences.
Follow SPACE.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

• Solar Flare Photos: Sun Storms Erupt From Sunspot AR1515
• Photos: Huge Solar Flare Eruptions of 2012
• The Sun's Wrath: Worst Solar Storms in History

Copyright 2013 SPACE.com,

 

[TnWatchdog]

Sunspot goes wild! X-class solar flare blasts in our direction

Alan Boyle, Science Editor NBC News
3 hours ago

NASA / SDO
A false-color composite image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a blast of activity originating from an active sunspot region at the center of the sun's disk on Tuesday.

Solar blast heads toward Earth

 

[Himalayan Hermit]

The other day I saw a huge sun spot with bare eyes, I wish I had my camera on me!

 

[Num7]

The other day I saw a huge sun spot with bare eyes, I wish I had my camera on me!

I didn't know it was possible to do that.

 

[Himalayan Hermit]

The other day I saw a huge sun spot with bare eyes, I wish I had my camera on me!

I didn't know it was possible to do that.

Sure you can. Sunspots are easily visible on a clear day during sunset when the sun is red and ok to look at directly. I have a few photos I have taken and will share them when my internet is faster

 

[TnWatchdog]

Intense Solar Storm Could Hit Earth on Friday the 13th

REX: NASA, SDO, Goddard,Wiessinger
A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on June 10, 2014, at 7:41 a.m. EDT.

13 hr ago By Kelly Dickerson of LiveScience.com




The sun has unleashed three powerful solar flares over the past two days, and the effects of these eruptions could hit Earth this Friday the 13th — but don't worry, space weather reports show there's no cause for alarm.
The three solar bursts were all X-class flares — the most intense type of solar flare that is 10,000 times as powerful as normal background flares from the sun. The most recent flare was an X1.0 that peaked at 5:06 a.m. EDT (0906 GMT) yesterday (June 11). Two other solar bursts — one X2.2 flare (twice as powerful as yesterday’s) and an X1.5 flare (1.5 times as powerful as yesterday’s) — occurred Tuesday. All three solar tempests erupted from the left side of the sun, NASA officials said in a statement.
Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation that are unleashed from the sun and speed out into space. They can sometimes produce waves of plasma and charged particles, called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). When aimed directly at Earth, CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms and knock out communications and power grids on Earth. So far, scientists have not observed a CME associated with this morning's flare, but yesterday's flares produced a CME that could hit Earth on Friday — Friday the 13th.
The fallout from the first two flares is expected to deal Earth a glancing blow, according to Spaceweather.com, but the CME could still create polar geomagnetic storms. Geomagnetic storms occur when solar particles interact with Earth's magnetic field.
A particularly powerful storm can create geomagnetic currents that interrupt power grids and throw off magnetic compasses, scientists have said. The storms can also produce auroras, the beautiful displays known as the Northern Lights. A powerful storm can supercharge auroras outside their normal latitude ranges, with some spectacular displays visible as far south as Texas.
Tuesday's solar flares caused a radio blackout that blocked all high-frequency radio communication on the sunlit side of Earth for about an hour, according to the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), which is based in Boulder, Colorado. Yesterday's solar flare produced the same effect.
If the geomagnetic storm forecasted for Friday hits, it will likely only produce a G1 storm, the least intense type. Therefore, it's unlikely that communication instruments will be disrupted, and space weather experts are not forecasting any unusual aurora displays, SWPC officials said.
As the sun rotates, it could shoot off additional flares that could end up pointing more directly at Earth, according to Spaceweather.com.
Strong flares and CMEs can also be hazardous to astronauts aboard the International Space Station and disrupt satellites in orbit around the planet.
Intense Solar Storm Could Hit Earth on Friday the 13th

 

[TnWatchdog]

Tempest on the sun: Flurry of small but spectacular solar storms captured by Nasa

• Nasa researchers in California say the sun has gone through a period of increased solar activity
• More than six solar flares were spotted by the Solar Dynamics Observatory
• The medium-sized and small flares were all unleashed in just one day
• The increased activity poses no threat to people on Earth's surface
• But flares can increase the size and reach of auroras from the poles

By Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline
Published: 05:24 EST, 1 September 2014 | Updated: 05:32 EST, 1 September 2014

A flurry of solar flares has been spotted on the sun by a Nasa telescope.
In just one day more than half a dozen were spotted, in addition to several ejections of material.
Videos and images show the explosions in all their glory as material races from the sun’s surface into the surrounding space.

According to Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) team a single, dynamic active region unleashed over half a dozen solar flares in about 24 hours from 25 to 26 August. The two larger flares were M-class (moderate

Check our full article and video on link
Tempest on the sun: Flurry of small but spectacular solar storms captured by Nasa | Mail Online