WARNING: Geomagnetic Storm Heads for Earth: cellphones, pagers, etc. might be affected

[Jazz]

Probably the most important for most people here are the cell phones and pagers ... also satellite TV like Directv ... just so you know

Friday, October 24, 2003

NEW YORK — In the kind of event that fascinates space forecasters but worries some industries, a strong geomagnetic storm (search) was expected to hit Earth on Friday, potentially disrupting everything from cell phones to power.

Space forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (search) said a potentially powerful ejection of magnetic material from the Sun could wreak havoc on satellites, pagers, electric grids and possibly airline schedules.

The cause of the storm is one of the largest sunspot clusters scientists have seen in some time. It developed over the past three days and produced an explosion of gas and charged particles into space from the outermost layers of the sun's atmosphere.

It’s that disturbance, known as a coronal mass ejection, that was heading toward Earth to become a geomagnetic storm.

Solar activity is rated in the same way as earthquakes, on a sliding scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most powerful. This storm is expected to rank at a moderate 3.

One positive angle to the storm: much of Europe and the northern United States and Canada can expect to see brilliant skies from the northern lights.

A second sunspot cluster not yet visible from Earth could produce more geomagnetic storms in the next two weeks, NOAA said.

 

[jimbutorac]

My guess is that a lot of books that rely on satellite for phones and internet will be suffering service disruptions this afternoon.

Supposedly there is going to be another solar flare in a couple of weeks.

 

[WEEKENDALKI]

So will this be intermittent for the next couple of weeks? will I be able to get down on football this weekend, or will my outs have problems?

 

[jimbutorac]

Weekend will probably be okay. If you were trying to bet hockey tonite, you might have problems.

It's supposed to start about now and last for 12 hours, so should be over before college ball starts.

Won't hit again for another couple of weeks (not sure exactly what time) so you should be fine.

 

[Chadster]

yes it has been affecting me how long will this last?

 

[Jazz]

From the government NOAA website ...

Oct. 22, 2003 — Forecasters at the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., observed two dynamic areas of the sun, one of which has produced a coronal mass ejection, or CME, Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. EDT that appears to be Earth-directed. The forecasters are predicting a strong geomagnetic storm, G-3 on the NOAA Space Weather Scales, that should reach Earth on Friday, October 24. (Click here to view larger image from the SOHO spacecraft of the intense solar activity on the sun taken Oct. 21, 2003. Click here to view high resolution version, which is a large file. Click here to view latest images. Please credit “SOHO.”)

NOAA Region 484 developed rapidly over the past three days and is now one of the largest sunspot clusters to emerge during Solar Cycle 23. It is about 10 times larger than the Earth. This region, which is nearing the center of the sun, already produced a major flare, R-3 on the NOAA Space Weather Scales, producing a radio blackout on October 19 at 12:50 p.m EDT. The region continues to grow, and additional substantial flare activity is likely.

Larry Combs, a forecaster with the NOAA Space Environment Center’s Space Weather Operations, said that this region has developed rapidly over the last three to four days. “It’s somewhat unusual to have this much activity when we’re approximately three-and-a-half years past solar maximum,” he said. “In fact, just last week, solar activity was very low with an almost spotless sun.” Solar cycles of high and low activity repeat about every eleven years, and the sun has been moving towards solar minimum for the past three years.

A second intense active region is rotating on the southeast quadrant of the sun. Although the sunspot group is not yet visible, two powerful eruptions occurred on October 21 as seen from the LASCO instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. These eruptions may herald the arrival of another volatile active center with the potential to impact various Earth systems.

Further major eruptions are possible from these active regions as they rotate across the face of the sun over the next two weeks. Satellite and other spacecraft operations, power systems, high frequency communications, and navigation systems may experience disruptions over this two-week period.

 

[HacheMan]

There's also an asteroid still on path to hit Earth many years from now, and has been on that same path for quite a long time. I guarantee there's secretly been some talks and time spent on what the govt. will do if it continues, but we'll never know in order to prevent panic.