X-flare Warning

[svetz]

MAJOR FLARE WARNING: Sunspot AR2860 is big, angry, and it's directly facing Earth. The active region just unleashed a significant M4.7-class solar flare (Aug. 28 @ 0611 UT), probably hurling a CME toward Earth: movie. If current trends continue, a major X-flare could be in the offing, so stay tuned. [ref]

If they're directed at Earth, such flares and associated CMEs can create long lasting radiation storms that can harm satellites, communications systems, and even ground-based technologies and power grids. X-class flares on December 5 and December 6, 2006, for example, triggered a CME that interfered with GPS signals being sent to ground-based receivers.

 

[svetz]

Hey @cass3825 .... Don't get too alarmed, the CME from the M4.7 shouldn't be a super big deal (we've been hit by a few minor CMEs in the last month). Usually, they annoy the hams and military more than anything else ;-) Most folks that get flare warnings do so to setup to watch an aurora borealis. The X flare is just a possibility. X flares are the big boys though, and they can cause havoc. A CME from an X could even cause a Carrington event, but it has to hit us first. Given our orbital speed and the sun's rotation rate, we're only in the crosshairs for so long.

 

[cass3825]

Cool, thanks for the detailed explanation!!!

 

[Jgb3]

Space weather live app is pretty cool

 

[svetz]

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: One and perhaps two CMEs are about to hit Earth. The first, hurled toward us by last Thursday's solar tsumani (C3), is expected to arrive on Aug.30. The second, ejected by Saturday's solar flare (M4.7), could come on Aug. 31-Sept 1. Neither CME is particularly bright or powerful; however, they could combine to produce G1-class geomagnetic storms. ref

It would be nice if we had a few more satellites so as to better predict what will hit us and when.