Solar storm from ‘cannibal’ sun eruption may impact power grid and bring auroras as far south as Pennsylvania
[ad_1]
The government agency tasked with monitoring space weather has warned that a powerful solar storm could interfere with power grids, satellites and radio signals — although it might also have sent the beautiful northern lights incredibly far south overnight into Thursday (Nov. 4).
The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), an office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has been monitoring a series of outbursts from our sun that began on Monday (Nov. 1). Since then, the sun has produced several coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are bubbles of hot gas and magnetic field; while such activity can come from any part of the sun, the current examples have headed out into space toward Earth, making them of particular interest to humans. Some sun weather trackers dubbed one of those eruptions a “cannibal CME” after it overtook an earlier storm.
SWPC warned that as the current geomagnetic storm unfolds, the consequences may affect people’s daily lives, including “voltage irregularities possible in the electric power grid, false alarms may be triggered on some protection devices” and “intermittent satellite navigation (GPS) problems,” according to a NOAA statement.
Related: Sun outburst goes ‘cannibal’ as fast new blob overtakes a slower one
See the northern lights?
If you take a photograph of the northern lights from the solar flare, send images and comments in to spacephotos@space.com.
NOAA operates a host of satellites that can detect CMEs. The CME responsible for today’s potential impacts reached the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft late on Wednesday, then reached the GOES-16 satellite about 15 minutes later, according to a statement. DSCOVR is located about 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) away from Earth in the direction of the sun; GOES-16 is located in geostationary orbit about 22,200 miles (35,800 km) above the equator monitoring the East Coast of the U.S.
In addition to potential consequences more noticeable to everyday life, NOAA noted that spacecraft may be affected by phenomena like surface charging and orientation problems, and the storm might interfere with high frequency radio signals at high latitudes, which could affect long-distance airplane flights.
It’s not all bad news, of course. The NOAA statement also notes that the geomagnetic storm may bring on particularly stunning northern lights, noting that overnight from Wednesday into Thursday the displays may have been visible from “Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon and points north.” (Auroras also occur during the day but are much more difficult to see against a sunlit sky.)
And the display may continue, SWPC’s geomagnetic storm forecast notes, with G1 representing minor storms and G3 representing strong storms. “G1 storm levels continue to be met and solar wind conditions remain elevated and enhanced, maintaining the potential for additional periods of G2-G3 level storms,” a forecast published early on Thursday reads.
In addition to the technical forecasts, SWPC also produces a visual aurora forecast for both the northern and southern hemispheres.
CMEs and other solar activity that can affect conditions across the solar system are known collectively as space weather. Space weather is generally tied to the sun’s 11-year activity cycle. Currently, the sun is in the early period of what scientists have dubbed “solar cycle 25,” which is forecast to peak in 2025.
Editor’s note: If you hope to see the northern lights yourself, check out our guide on where and how to photograph the aurora. And if you’re hoping to capture them on camera, consider our picks for the best equipment for aurora photography and how to edit aurora photos. If you need equipment, our roundups for the best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can help make sure you’re ready for the next aurora event.
Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
[ad_2]
Original Post
This is really fascinating, You’re an overly professional blogger. I have joined your feed and sit up for searching for extra of your great post. Additionally, I’ve shared your web site in my social networks!
Regards for this post, I am a big fan of this site would like to go along updated.
F*ckin¦ awesome issues here. I am very glad to look your post. Thank you so much and i am taking a look forward to contact you. Will you kindly drop me a mail?
Greetings! Very helpful advice on this article! It is the little changes that make the biggest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Howdy! I simply want to give a huge thumbs up for the good information you’ve here on this post. I will probably be coming back to your weblog for extra soon.
I went over this web site and I conceive you have a lot of excellent information, saved to favorites (:.
Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Many thanks
Does your site have a contact page? I’m having problems locating it but, I’d like to shoot you an email. I’ve got some creative ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great blog and I look forward to seeing it improve over time.
I discovered your weblog site on google and test a number of of your early posts. Continue to keep up the very good operate. I just additional up your RSS feed to my MSN News Reader. In search of ahead to reading more from you afterward!…
It’s the best time to make a few plans for the long run and it is time to be happy. I’ve read this submit and if I may just I want to recommend you few interesting issues or advice. Maybe you could write next articles relating to this article. I desire to read even more issues about it!
Good write-up, I am normal visitor of one?¦s site, maintain up the excellent operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a long time.
This actually answered my drawback, thanks!
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed! Extremely useful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this particular info for a long time. Thank you and good luck.
I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
My brother recommended I might like this website. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks!
I conceive this website contains very fantastic pent content articles.
I am now not certain the place you’re getting your info, but good topic. I needs to spend some time learning more or working out more. Thanks for great information I was looking for this info for my mission.
I simply desired to appreciate you all over again. I am not sure the things I would have accomplished in the absence of the type of strategies provided by you concerning such a concern. It had been the troublesome setting in my position, but discovering a new professional approach you resolved that forced me to jump with joy. I’m happy for the service and then hope that you really know what a powerful job you’re accomplishing teaching some other people via your blog post. More than likely you have never come across any of us.
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice while you amend your site, how could i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided bright clear idea
Simply desire to say your article is as astounding. The clearness in your post is simply great and i can assume you’re an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep updated with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work.
I gotta favorite this website it seems very beneficial invaluable
Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your site is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the information I already searched all over the place and just could not come across. What a great site.
This really answered my problem, thank you!
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively useful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & assist other users like its helped me. Great job.
This really answered my downside, thank you!
Hey very cool website!! Man .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your website and take the feeds also…I am happy to find so many useful information here in the post, we need work out more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .
This blog is definitely rather handy since I’m at the moment creating an internet floral website – although I am only starting out therefore it’s really fairly small, nothing like this site. Can link to a few of the posts here as they are quite. Thanks much. Zoey Olsen
There are certainly a number of particulars like that to take into consideration. That may be a great level to convey up. I offer the thoughts above as common inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you convey up where a very powerful factor will likely be working in honest good faith. I don?t know if greatest practices have emerged around things like that, however I am certain that your job is clearly identified as a good game. Each boys and girls feel the impression of just a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
Hello! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a group of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche. Your blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done a outstanding job!
Hello my friend! I want to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include approximately all important infos. I would like to see more posts like this.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation however I find this topic to be actually one thing that I believe I’d by no means understand. It sort of feels too complex and extremely extensive for me. I’m taking a look forward on your next put up, I?¦ll attempt to get the dangle of it!
That is the appropriate weblog for anybody who needs to seek out out about this topic. You notice so much its almost laborious to argue with you (not that I truly would want…HaHa). You definitely put a brand new spin on a subject thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, just great!
I have recently started a web site, the information you provide on this site has helped me greatly. Thank you for all of your time & work.