Solar Plasma Aurora To Affect Earth?
- Thread starter Alex.
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Dotini
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- CR80_Shifty
On the evening of August 28, 1859, the sky over much of the northern hemisphere turned a blood red. Streaks were observed shooting upwards from all points of the horizon, and concentrating in a large luminous mass in the middle of the heavens, with the greatest intensity of color at the zenith. Rays were constantly shooting up from all portions of the horizon. Flashes of white light appeared among them, commencing from the horizon and moving upwards, following each other like waves in an immense sea of light. This could be seen from Key West, Fla (24 degrees, 33 minutes), and from Inagua, Bahamas (21 degrees, 18 minutes).
This aurora resulted from the Carrington Event, the biggest solar storm ever noted by science. NASA figures something similar can and will occur again, perhaps as soon as 2013. NASA wants its employees and all US citizens to be prepared, as extensive and prolonged electric power grid outages could happen, as well as communication difficulties.
The present solar storm is insignificant by comparison.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
This aurora resulted from the Carrington Event, the biggest solar storm ever noted by science. NASA figures something similar can and will occur again, perhaps as soon as 2013. NASA wants its employees and all US citizens to be prepared, as extensive and prolonged electric power grid outages could happen, as well as communication difficulties.
The present solar storm is insignificant by comparison.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
Cool. Aurora.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Most everyone in the northern hemisphere was able to see aurora phenomena in 1859.
But Texas is too far south to see the current aurora. Michigan might work, or might not. Anyway, the current storm is almost over. Watch this space for warnings of the next one!
Respectfully,
Steve
- 1,047
- chesterfield,UK
- Keldabest13
Does this mean it will be warm? 
Dotini
(Banned)
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- CR80_Shifty
It is an interesting coincidence that the strong M-class solar flare/CME of August 5th arrived in the hours immediately preceding the London rioting. It is also a fact that resonant coupling of the lithosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere can occur during intense X-class solar storms.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1105.2841
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26773/
http://www.scec.org/news/01news/es_abstracts/ouzounov_freund.pdf
It is to be wondered if spaceweather can have an adverse impact on people, their attitudes, their behavior, luck, or even financial markets?
MAJOR SOLAR FLARE: This morning at 0805 UT, sunspot 1263 produced a powerful X7-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the explosion's extreme ultraviolet flash: http://spaceweather.com/ <-- archive August 9, 2011
The brunt of the explosion was not Earth directed. Nevertheless, a minor proton storm is in progress around our planet, which could affect satellites in high-altitude orbits. Also, radiation from flare created waves of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere, briefly disrupting communications at some VLF and HF radio frequencies.
SOHO coronagraphs show a CME emerging from the blast site. The cloud will probably miss Earth. At this time, however, we cannot rule out a glancing blow from the flank of the CME on or about August 11th. Stay tuned for updates.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
http://arxiv.org/abs/1105.2841
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26773/
http://www.scec.org/news/01news/es_abstracts/ouzounov_freund.pdf
It is to be wondered if spaceweather can have an adverse impact on people, their attitudes, their behavior, luck, or even financial markets?
MAJOR SOLAR FLARE: This morning at 0805 UT, sunspot 1263 produced a powerful X7-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the explosion's extreme ultraviolet flash: http://spaceweather.com/ <-- archive August 9, 2011
The brunt of the explosion was not Earth directed. Nevertheless, a minor proton storm is in progress around our planet, which could affect satellites in high-altitude orbits. Also, radiation from flare created waves of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere, briefly disrupting communications at some VLF and HF radio frequencies.
SOHO coronagraphs show a CME emerging from the blast site. The cloud will probably miss Earth. At this time, however, we cannot rule out a glancing blow from the flank of the CME on or about August 11th. Stay tuned for updates.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
- 4,035
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Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Apparently, I am not alone in idly wondering - not claiming - about the possible effects of spaceweather.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/08/12/britain-solar-idUKL6E7JC0WS20110812
Aug 12 (Reuters) - Rollercoaster financial markets and the worst riots Britain has seen in decades have made it quite a week for a time of year that is usually so dead the newspapers are filled with "silly season" tales of amusing pet antics.
Everyone is pointing fingers -- at blundering politicians, hooded thugs, disaffected youths, bumbling police and greedy bankers -- but could the cause for all the madness really be the star at the centre of our solar system?
There isn't a lot of evidence pointing to little green men involving themselves in Earthly affairs, but the sun has been throwing bursts of highly charged particles into space in a phenomenon known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs.
Three large CMEs prompted U.S. government scientists to warn of solar storms that can cause power blackouts and the aurora borealis, or northern lights, caused by disturbances in the Earth's atmosphere, have been spotted as far south as England and Colorado, NASA said.
"Earth's magnetic field is still reverberating from a CME strike on August 5th that sparked one of the strongest geomagnetic storms in years", website SpaceWeather said.
Some academics have claimed that such geomagnetic storms can affect humans, altering moods and leading people into negative behaviour through effects on their biochemistry.
Some studies have found evidence that hospital admissions for depression rise during geomagnetic storms and that incidents of suicide increase.
A 2003 study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that such storms could affect the stock market, as traders were more likely to make pessimistic choices.
"Unusually high levels of geomagnetic activity have a negative, statistically and economically significant effect on the following week's stock returns for all US stock market indices," the authors found in their report.
It could of course be mere coincidence that this has been a rollercoaster week on the markets...
- 1,662
- Tennessee,USA
- StarFirebird
- starfirebird
^So all these bursts are still going on?
The Sun seems to be waking up these past few weeks.
The Sun seems to be waking up these past few weeks.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Every morning I check www.spaceweather.com for instant news on the sun's current activity. You can even click on an option to be notified in event of intense solar activity or other notable spaceweather events like meteor showers and stuff. The site is an official organ of NASA.
The sun is due to reach a certain cyclic maximum in 2013, although there is a lot more science to it than just that.
Recent additions to science knowledge coming from NASA's growing fleet of sun-observing missions is fascinating to follow.
Respectfully,
Steve
- 5,693
- Canada
So basically, my sudden change of behaviour in the last few days could be attributed to a Solar Plasma Aurora affecting my behaviour. Because usually I am just agitated and just downright angry, but until recently I've just been calm and sad. Am I silly to believe this is the cause? Or could my change in behaviour be caused by a different thing? Because my routine is the same as usual, but I'm just really grumpy.
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
I don't think we'd need to go too far afield to find at least anecdotal evidence that ordinary weather can affect people's moods. Heat, humidity, barometric pressure, wind, and all that obviously affect our environment, and hence our bodies. Some might say that tides or phases of the moon have some kind of effect, even if only statistical. Static electricity can make our hair stand on end, and a bolt of lightning can scare the bejeesus out of us.
By extension to spaceweather, we are invoking such things as oscillating magnetic fields as possible contributors to our environment, behavior and mood. Such things have been studied in the lab, but it is only now that we are learning basic spaceweather, mainly thanks due to the efforts of NASA.
Nobody should attribute health, attitude or behavior effects to solar storms until the science is better understood.
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
- 1,662
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- StarFirebird
- starfirebird
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Here is some video candy for my friend Alex P. (and others, too!)
http://www.semiconductorfilms.com/root/Magnetic_Movie/Magnetic.htm
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Dotini
(Banned)
- 15,742
- Seattle
- CR80_Shifty
Over the years I've seen a number of NASA videos where the sun appears to react to comets, once reaching out and snapping off the tail of a distant comet! Naturally I've never whispered this to a soul, because coincidence seemed a more likely explanation. Now, I'm not so sure since NASA itself is openly musing about this.
http://spaceweather.com/ <-- archive Oct 3, 2011
COMET AND CME: A comet discovered by amateur astronomers on Friday, Sept. 30th, disintegrated in spectacular fashion the very next day when it plunged into the sun. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded the comet's last hours. The end was punctuated by an unexpected explosion; click on the image to set the scene in motion:
Watch the movie again. The timing of the CME so soon after the comet dove into the sun suggests a link. But what? There is no known mechanism for comets to trigger solar explosions. Before 2011 most solar physicists would have discounted the events of Oct. 1st as pure coincidence--and pure coincidence is still the most likely explanation. Earlier this year, however, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) watched another sungrazer disintegrate in the sun's atmosphere. On July 5, 2011, the unnamed comet appeared to interact with plasma and magnetic fields in its surroundings as it fell apart. Could a puny comet cause a magnetic instability that might propagate and blossom into a impressive CME? The question is not so crazy as it once seemed to be.
Edit: Here is a nifty NASA explanation of how Encke's tail was snipped off by a CME. Apparently, it has to do with opposite magnetic fields between the comet and CME, as the CME has as little mechanical force as a baby's breath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5Z-EkW5v4
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
http://spaceweather.com/ <-- archive Oct 3, 2011
COMET AND CME: A comet discovered by amateur astronomers on Friday, Sept. 30th, disintegrated in spectacular fashion the very next day when it plunged into the sun. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory recorded the comet's last hours. The end was punctuated by an unexpected explosion; click on the image to set the scene in motion:
Watch the movie again. The timing of the CME so soon after the comet dove into the sun suggests a link. But what? There is no known mechanism for comets to trigger solar explosions. Before 2011 most solar physicists would have discounted the events of Oct. 1st as pure coincidence--and pure coincidence is still the most likely explanation. Earlier this year, however, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) watched another sungrazer disintegrate in the sun's atmosphere. On July 5, 2011, the unnamed comet appeared to interact with plasma and magnetic fields in its surroundings as it fell apart. Could a puny comet cause a magnetic instability that might propagate and blossom into a impressive CME? The question is not so crazy as it once seemed to be.
Edit: Here is a nifty NASA explanation of how Encke's tail was snipped off by a CME. Apparently, it has to do with opposite magnetic fields between the comet and CME, as the CME has as little mechanical force as a baby's breath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu5Z-EkW5v4
Respectfully submitted,
Steve
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