latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-solar-flare-20110218,0,2353554.story
latimes.com
Solar flare radiation expected to hit starting today
The largest solar flare in four years erupted Monday. Its radiation is
expected to reach Earth today and Friday and perhaps interfere with
communication systems, power grids and navigation satellites. It might
also enhance the northern lights.

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times

10:01 AM PST, February 17, 2011

Radiation from the largest solar flare in four years is expected to
reach the Earth Thursday and Friday, potentially interfering with
communication and navigation satellites and disrupting ground-based
communication networks and power grids.

The rain of charged particles from the so-called coronal mass ejections,
or CMEs, should also enhance the northern lights, also known as the
Aurora Borealis, making them both more prominent and visible farther
south, perhaps even into the northern tier of the United States, experts
said.

The solar flare, which erupted Monday, occurs when magnetic field lines
on the sun's surface in effect get short-circuited, releasing large
amounts of energy into space. Three such events occurred Monday, the
largest of them a so-called class X event — the most powerful form of
solar flare. Astronomers have been expecting the sun to ramp up its
activity after several years of quiescence during its normal 11-year
cycle of activity. Maximum solar activity is expected in 2013.

Eight minutes after the bursts, X-rays traveling at the speed of light
struck the Earth. But the charged particles released during the
eruptions take longer to travel the 93 million miles separating the two
bodies and are not expected to begin arriving until sometime midday
Thursday.

Some may have already gotten here, however, as China has reported
disruptions of radio communications in the southern part of the country.

The disruptions are not expected to be as severe as some past events. In
1972, a solar flare shut down telephone lines in the state of Illinois
and another flare in 1989 knocked out power for 6 million people in the
Canadian province of Quebec.

Researchers and industries will have about a 30-minute warning that the
CMEs are going to strike from a NASA satellite called the Advanced
Composition Explorer, which monitors the solar radiation.

On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:57:47 -0500, Al Fansome
wrote:

latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-solar-flare-20110218,0,2353554.story
latimes.com
Solar flare radiation expected to hit starting today
The largest solar flare in four years erupted Monday. Its radiation is
expected to reach Earth today and Friday and perhaps interfere with
communication systems, power grids and navigation satellites. It might
also enhance the northern lights.

By Thomas H. Maugh II, Los Angeles Times

10:01 AM PST, February 17, 2011

Radiation from the largest solar flare in four years is expected to
reach the Earth Thursday and Friday, potentially interfering with
communication and navigation satellites and disrupting ground-based
communication networks and power grids.

The rain of charged particles from the so-called coronal mass ejections,
or CMEs, should also enhance the northern lights, also known as the
Aurora Borealis, making them both more prominent and visible farther
south, perhaps even into the northern tier of the United States, experts
said.

The solar flare, which erupted Monday, occurs when magnetic field lines
on the sun's surface in effect get short-circuited, releasing large
amounts of energy into space. Three such events occurred Monday, the
largest of them a so-called class X event — the most powerful form of
solar flare. Astronomers have been expecting the sun to ramp up its
activity after several years of quiescence during its normal 11-year
cycle of activity. Maximum solar activity is expected in 2013.

Eight minutes after the bursts, X-rays traveling at the speed of light
struck the Earth. But the charged particles released during the
eruptions take longer to travel the 93 million miles separating the two
bodies and are not expected to begin arriving until sometime midday
Thursday.

Some may have already gotten here, however, as China has reported
disruptions of radio communications in the southern part of the country.

The disruptions are not expected to be as severe as some past events. In
1972, a solar flare shut down telephone lines in the state of Illinois
and another flare in 1989 knocked out power for 6 million people in the
Canadian province of Quebec.

Researchers and industries will have about a 30-minute warning that the
CMEs are going to strike from a NASA satellite called the Advanced
Composition Explorer, which monitors the solar radiation.


Stories of your demise were untrue I see. Glad to see you Al.

Jim(MI)