Severe space storm headed for Earth

[IndianaGreen]

Severe space storm headed for Earth

Satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions

Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess after a major solar flare erupted overnight, threatening damage to communication systems and power grids.

"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably around midday Thursday, Joe Kunches, lead forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center, told Space.com Wednesday afternoon.

The storm is expected to generate aurorae or northern lights as far south as the northern United States on Thursday night. Astronauts aboard the international space station are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.

Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage, however.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16187534/

[TomInTib]

1. "storminess"?

Colbert has changed the language.

[Orrex]

2. A solar flare overnight? Preposterous!

The sun's only visible in the daytime, of course.

[IndianaGreen]

3. LMAO. Spoken like a fundie!

:-) And that's just how they think!

[chknltl]

5. Nopity.... Fundies would say:

This is proof that God is mad at America for doubting bush! :crazy:

[SpiralHawk]

25. This is a faith-based solar storm, Orrex

You don't need to see it, you just need to believe in it.

[tavalon]

44. That's beautiful!

Thanks for the smile.

[Monkeyman]

4. Dam and I,m out of Tin Foil

Na Just kidding last time lost a network control

[Kelvin Mace]

6. Citizens are advised to avoid using transporters

for the duration of the storm. Don't let this happen to you!

[Neshanic]

7. ROTFLMAO!

[Cheap_Trick]

9. Mirror Mirror!

My all time favorite TOS episode.

[Kelvin Mace]

12. Mine is that

and Doomsday Machine.

[Briar]

27. City on the Edge of Forever

forever!

[Frank Cannon]

35. As a big fan of Uncle Harlan...

that's mine too.

Also love the Menagerie and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.

[Kelvin Mace]

42. And

Demon with a glass hand, I see.

[JVS]

16. I hope we get ESP powers from the storm and get to bag Sally Kellerman!

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. How come their clothes got through to the correct destination?

They repeated this a couple of weeks ago on the BBC, and I couldn't work out how good Kirk ended up in evil Kirk's clothes, and vice versa. Does the transporter have two circuits - one for people, and another for clothing, and only one went wrong? Or does it work on Douglas Adams's Finite Improbability principle, which could be used to transport a hostess's underwear one foot to the left at a good party?

[Kelvin Mace]

41. Blame it on the

Heisenberg compensator.

[Tesha]

23. Or you'll have to deal with *THIS* guy!

[Critters2]

8. Northern lights! Cool! nt

[IndianaGreen]

11. Hopefully we'll get to see them in the lower 48

one of the few things I have yet to see!

[daleo]

15. I hope you get a chance to see the aurora tomorrow, then

They are well worth the price of admission. It is one of the benefits of living in high latitudes, although clear nights in urban environments seem to be harder to come by all the time.

[AngryAmish]

19. What is the lag time?

I thought it was 18 hrs or so.

The northern lights are one of the wonders of this life.

[daleo]

45. It is something like that, I think

Supposedly, tonight could have some nice displays. I hope it stays clear.

[Ripley]

28. Lucky You!

For living up there where You can enjoy the show. I read somewhere that due to our changing climate and predictions of more severe solar storms that the auroras would be seen at lower and lower latitudes. I'm waiting.

[Patiod]

31. They've been as far south as Fredericksburg, VA

because the South took it as a sign from God that the Northern Lights came out the night of the first battle of Fredricksburg in 1862.

I've always wanted to see them, but it doesn't look likely tonight even if they happen this far south - I can't even see the top of the skyscraper next to ours because the fog is so bad....

[Ripley]

34. Well I'm a lot further South than VA..

You've got fog too? It's THICK here in the deep south this morning and lasting a long time. I guess it's just Mother Earth reflecting the USA's state of mind. IN A FOG!!

[Critters2]

48. I've only seen 'em once--

at the farthest south location I've ever lived. South Central Illinois. I was walking across the church cemetery late one winter night after turning up the heat at the church. There were what I thought were heavy-looking clouds to the north. Kind of green in color, but I thought they were catching the reflection off the snow or something. Then, all of a sudden, they turned the most beautiful magenta color, and I knew what they were.

I leaned against a headstone and watched 'em for like an hour. The colors, the shapes...breathtakingly beautiful.

The next day, it was all anyone in town could talk about. I'd really love to see 'em again!

[closeupready]

59. a wild guess - that was 1984?

??

[customerserviceguy]

38. Here's a website I use to check probability of them

http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

Of course, here in the cloudy Northwest, it's hit and miss, mostly miss!

[tavalon]

46. But Seattle will be getting hurricane force wind gusts this afternoon

Sweet! Not. I left the south and thought I had left hurricanes behind.

[customerserviceguy]

52. I live just across the river from Portland, OR

but we got some nasty winds, too. My power stayed on, but that wasn't the case for a goodly number of my neighbors in my county.

Of course, nothing compares with the great "Columbus Day Storm of 1962". The Space Needle was brand-new, and nobody was really sure if it would withstand the wind received that day. A man I met a dozen years later was a cook in the restaurant on the Needle, and he described that day with terror.

[Dervill Crow]

56. Ah yes, I remember the Columbus Day storm!

I was at an Albertson's with my parents when the lights went out. We lost power at our place for about six hours last night but no damage.

[krispos42]

60. Damn, even living in Minnesota I think I'm too far south n/t

[northofdenali]

20. My absolute first thought!!

The second is gassing up to head out away from the lights, and just enjoy.........

[Az_lefty]

10. will it be like the shit storm we've already been hit with?

:shrug:

[Naipes]

43. Shit storm? You mean a shiticane?

(Shiticane, term first used by Mr. Leahey in the Trailer Park Boys.)

[Algorem]

13. can't the Republicans do something about all this flamboyant flaming?

[AnneD]

51. Nothing...and I mean nothing

can stop the gay rays......

[jus_the_facts]

14. from spaceweather.com......

www.spaceweather.com

Solar Flares: Probabilities for a medium-sized (M-class) or a major (X-class) solar flare during the next 24/48 hours are tabulated below.
Updated at 2006 Dec 13 2245 UTC
FLARE 0-24 hr 24-48 hr
CLASS M 60 % 60 %
CLASS X 35 % 35 %

Geomagnetic Storms: Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm
Updated at 2006 Dec 13 2245 UTC

Mid-latitudes 0-24 hr 24-48 hr
ACTIVE 10 % 10 %
MINOR 25 % 25 %
SEVERE 55 % 45 %

High latitudes 0-24 hr 24-48 hr
ACTIVE 15 % 15 %
MINOR 20 % 20 %
SEVERE 65 % 55 %

As a result of the blast, a radiation storm is underway. Based on the energy and number of solar protons streaming past Earth, NOAA ranks the storm as category S2: satellites may experience some glitches and reboots, but astronauts are in no danger.

The explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth: movie. Sky watchers should be alert for auroras when it arrives on Dec. 14th. (Note: In the movie, the CME is barely visible through a snowstorm of streaks and speckles. That "snow" is caused by solar protons peppering SOHO's digital camera.)

[Bozita]

17. What about the folks in the shuttle and space station?

How are they receiving this news?

[AngryAmish]

18. They are hiding behind their water

They would not feel it but it just ups their chance for cancer

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

21. They will get it in waves

and photons

[rodeodance]

24. spooky

[Ezlivin]

26. Bush doesn't think it will be that bad - says he needs more data

N/T

[progressoid]

29. No no no. This is just a bunch of scientifical mumbo jumbo they made up to save the manatees.

I heard it on Rush.

[Patiod]

30. Ok, this is bizarre

Last night, NOT ONE of the copiers at Kinkos was working correctly - they were either jamming, or screwing up the outputs.

I said to frustrated employee "Hey Pat - maybe you have poltergeists! Or maybe there's one of those solar storms going on!"

I'm sure it's a coincidence, but still..........................

[Tiberius]

54. wireless link

I'm in IT - at my work yesterday (around 10:30 AM eastern) the wireless link that we use to connect two of our buildings together simply fuzzed out for no reason. The thing has been operating for months through all weather and power outages and I still don't know the cause.

[Recursion]

32. Did Cheney or Rove go to the Sun recently?

I wouldn't put anything past these bastards....

[cascadiance]

39. Perhaps they did something that triggered Johnson's aneuryism yesterday...

OK, that's all of my "conspiracy theories" for today! :)

[tabasco]

33. Wouldn't it be weird if it wiped out everybody ...

except for me and Kim Bassinger? :crazy:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

37. I had the same thought

Except it was me and Brad Pitt. :D

[BushOut06]

36. This is the work of Islamo-fascist terrorists, no doubt

Everyone knows that Al Qaeda has a super-secret space station, capable of everything from controlling the weather, generating earthquakes, and producing solar storms! That ozone hole above Antarctica? Al Qaeda. Global warming? Yep, them too.

[slackmaster]

40. The Bozone layer will protect us

I hope.

[devilgrrl]

47. Maybe it's Klaatu coming to tell us to shape up or else.

[Ezlivin]

55. Klaatu barada nikto

I damn sure wish Klaatu would come.

We could use his help right about now....

[byronius]

49. Thanks for posting this. Cool. n/t

[Megahurtz]

50. Wow, that's Cool. n/t

[Lochloosa]

53. Pic of the Flare

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. Wow!

Thanks for the amazing pic!

[kitty1]

58. So is it time to sacrifice a mayan or something n/t