When the Sun has a temper tantrum.

Geomagnetic Storm

I am BEYOND EXCITED! I Just found out that there is a solar flare headed straight for Earth RIGHT NOW! The Sun has been very active the last few days and it's predicted it will become more active as the year goes by. Yesterday radio signals were intterupted in Southern China due to a prequell of the bigger flares that are on the way. I didn't know this but on Monday the Northern Lights were visible further south than usual because of flares from the geomagnetic storm. The bigger one that is incomming may create nice displays of the Aurora Borealis tonight and tomorrow night.
      
A powerful solar eruption that triggered a huge geomagnetic storm has disturbed radio communications and could disrupt electrical power grids, radio and satellite communication in the next days, NASA said. A strong wave of charged plasma particles emanating from the Jupiter-sized sun spot, the most powerful seen in four years, has already disrupted radio communication in southern China. (yahoo News)

I have been following news articles the last few years about the predicted solar flares. If the flares are strong and hit dead on, they can cause major disaster. The flares don't harm us but they do harm satelites, power grids, computers. Infact think of the flares as a HUGE magnet. If it breaches the atmosphere ALL computers will be wiped. This is unlikely but still possible. What would happen is all computers got wipped? Alot of info will be lost, it will be the most expensive disaster in history, there will be mass confusion and a HUGE amout of stuff will be destroyed or dammaged. If a Nuclear power plant goes offline it will take MONTHS to get it up and running again. It is already predicted that the power plants are on stand by...they may shut down in an emergency (If there is ample proof that the flare will hit dead on with alot of power) I don't know about you but I'd prefer the power plants to go offline for a few days V.S a few months.
          They estimate this storm will disrupt GPS, Radio waves, and satelites are vulnerable to these storms. Southern China already experienced disruptions yesterday with Radio signals. This isn't as bad as an entire power grid being blown but planes can lose contact with airports, ships can lose contact with shore, and old men everywhere who are HAM radio hobbiests will be royally pissed off.
        
"Three CMEs are enroute, all a part of the Radio Blackout events on February 13, 14, and 15 (UTC). The last of the three seems to be the fastest and may catch both of the forerunners about mid to late ... February 17."
The China Meteorological Administration reported that the solar flare caused "sudden ionospheric disturbances" in the atmosphere above China and jammed short-wave radio communications in the southern part of the country.
The CMA warned there was a high probability that large solar flares would appear over the next three days, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) said meanwhile that the solar storm would result in spectacular Northern Lights displays starting Thursday. (Yahoo News)


For the most part I really hope I get to witness a display of Northern Lights. I'm looking forward to following the sun's weather over the next year. This is just the start. The Sun hasn't even unleashed it's full potential yet. We might get to see many cool Northern Light spectacles over the next few months. So Stay tuned, the sun will be interesting for a while.