We just had an X class flair on the earth side of the Sun

[defacto7]

Probably pointed our direction. Anyone have any media sources yet? It's from the mega-spot that's been heading around the sun the last week. I got this from satellite information.

edit:

from SpaceWeather.com

Solar activity is high. During the past 48 hours, monster sunspot AR2192 has produced a series of seven M-class solar flares of increasing intensity. The eruptions crossed the threshold into X-territory with an X1-class flare on Oct. 22nd. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a powerful flash of extreme UV radiation in the sunspot's magnetic canopy at 14:30 UT:

Remarkably, not one of the explosions so far has hurled a significant CME toward Earth. The primary effect of the flares has been to ionize Earth's upper atmosphere, causing a series of short-lived HF radio communications blackouts. Such blackouts may be noticed by amateur radio operators, aviators, and mariners.

Earth-effects could increase in the days ahead.

http://spaceweather.com/

[jeff47]

1. Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy blog has a story on it

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2014/10/22/sunspot_2192_x_flare_seen_this_morning.html

Summary: You won't notice unless you work in radio or live somewhere with aurora.

[longship]

2. Mt TV reception is poor today.

As well as my cell phone.

Here in the Manistee National Forest we cannot be too picky. There is no cable TV or broadband INet here. We have to have roof antennas for television and cell towers for INet.

And reception today sucks.

[Louisiana1976]

3. I understand if a big enough flare reaches Earth, it can cause an EMP effect.

[jeff47]

4. Kinda. It has to be a really, really, really, really, really big flare though.

The flare has to be strong enough to overcome the Earth's magnetic field. Which means it has to be an extremely large flare with a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection - blasts some of the sun's corona into space). And it has to be pointed at Earth.

What could happen from such an event is it induces electrical current in all of the electrical grid. Which could blow out transformers and power lines. It's not clear how much of the grid would be damaged by such an event. One extreme says it will wipe out all electrical power for years. The other extreme says power will be back on very quickly except at high latitudes or rural areas, where the larger effects and longer distance wires means more damage.

[starroute]

6. This was an X1 -- the Carrington Event is estimated at X45

http://www.swsc-journal.org/articles/swsc/pdf/2013/01/swsc130015.pdf

[defacto7]

9. This seems to be no big event.

Mega event flairs are extremely rare. There seems to be very little CME with these, but It's great viewing though if you are into solar activity watching.

It's the partial eclipse I'm watching out for tomorrow (Thursday).

http://shadowandsubstance.com/

[2naSalit]

5. I like this

web portal...

http://solarimg.org/artis/

[Warren DeMontague]

7. THANKS, OBAMA!

[Hissyspit]

8. +100

[defacto7]

13. Why?

[Hissyspit]

19. It's a joke. It's funny.

OBVIOUSLY Obama has NOTHING to do with solar flares, but somewhere, some moron thinks he does or some Rove operative is trying to figure out how to make a connection.

The "Thanks Obama" meme, which makes fun of the right-wing knee-jerk absurdist tendency to blame Obama for EVERYTHING, has been around for quite awhile.

[defacto7]

21. OK

[defacto7]

10. and....... ?

Are you angry at Obama? Solar enthusiasts? The sun? Astronomy? Science?



Wait a minute, is this the science group? Maybe I'm lost.

[Warren DeMontague]

11. It was what was known in the colloquial parlance as, "a joke"

[defacto7]

12. Don't see it.

The smiley wasn't smiling.

Explain the joke.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. It is riffing on the tendency of some people to blame Obama for everything.

It seemed to me that it would be patently obvious, that he wasn't responsible for the solar flare.

Maybe not my best work, but like the man said, "they can't all be winners, kid"

[defacto7]

15. hmm..

"hmm" That's my colloquial parlance.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. You are welcome to imagine I had some secret triple layered meta-meaning hidden in there.

But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[defacto7]

17. Cigar?

Well even I know what that means.

I guess I had this imaginary idea that posting about solar flairs is fear mongering considering it tends to be inflated and usually comes around to some discussion of the Carrington event or the like and I remember a post where you were got pissed about that, you and one of the few I have on ignore. I like solar data. I have monitors on my conky with satellite data streams. If people get excited about it for whatever reason it's an opportunity.

Anyway... cigar huh? Not my style.

Ever had conky?

[Warren DeMontague]

18. I got pissed about the Carrington event?

Shit, either my old brain cells are giving out even worse than I thought, or.... is it possible it was one of our other fine Warrens, like Warren Stupidity? Folks confuse us all the time. Either way, I am fairly sure of all the things I've gotten bent out of shape on on DU, a solar storm has never been one of em.

Most of my DU fight-picking doesn't take place in the science group, honest!

[defacto7]

20. OK