Friday, October 21, 2016

SOLAR STORM ALERT, OCTOBER 21-24, 2016



I JUST NOTICED THAT SEVERAL SITES HAVE INCREASED THE WARNING LEVEL AND ISSUED AN ALERT FOR A 'SOLAR STORM'/GEOMAGNETIC STORM' TO MODERATE FOR OCT. 24.

UP UNTIL TODAY, WE HAD A "MINOR" WARNING.

MAPS AND AS MUCH DATA AS THEY THINK THE PUBLIC CAN HANDLE WITHOUT "PANIC" IS AVAILABLE AT http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

TODAY WE READ ON NOAA'S SITE:
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/alerts-watches-and-warnings

"WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G2 Predicted Highest Storm Level Predicted by Day: Oct 22: G1 (Minor) Oct 23: G1 (Minor) Oct 24: G2 (Moderate) THIS SUPERSEDES ANY/ALL PRIOR WATCHES IN EFFECT NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 55 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. Induced Currents - Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms. Spacecraft - Satellite orientation irregularities may occur; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites is possible. Radio - HF (high frequency) radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes. Aurora - Aurora may be seen as low as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state.



Space Weather Message Code: ALTEF3 Serial Number: 2452 Issue Time: 2016 Oct 21 0501 UTC CONTINUED ALERT: Electron 2MeV Integral Flux exceeded 1000pfu Continuation of Serial Number: 2451

Begin Time: 2016 Oct 14 0120 UTC Yesterday Maximum 2MeV Flux: 38252 pfu,

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation.

Potential Impacts: Satellite systems may experience significant charging resulting in increased risk to satellite systems.


TRACKING REAL TIME SOLAR WINDS, http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/real-time-solar-wind

LOOKING AT THE IMPACT ON THE POWER GRID, http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/impacts/electric-power-transmission

THE IMPACT ON COMMUNICATION SATELLITES, http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/impacts/satellite-communications

ON http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
SCROLL DOWN TO THE AVAILABLE VIDEO (IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO LOAD) TITLED "THE SUN'S XRAYS", IT'S A GREEN SUN IMAGE.
NOTICE THAT THE LARGER CORONAL HOLE IS ABOUT TO SPIN IN FACING EARTH, WHICH WILL INCREASE OUR SOLAR WIND.

ABOUT THAT CORONAL HOLE:
"An anticipated coronal hole stream may increase geomagnetic activity within the next 72 hours. "

WHILE WE SEE MANY SITES REPORTING "LOW SOLAR ACTIVITY", THAT'S JUST NOT 100% TRUE.
A LOOK A LIVE DATA AT "SPACEWEATHERLIVE" SHOWS THIS:

Current value:

A7.55

Highest value (2h max):

A9.56


THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN....

MOST MAY BE UNAWARE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO WATCH THE "FAR SIDE" OF THE SUN, SEE WHAT'S GOING TO ROTATE AROUND TO AN EARTH-FACING POSITION.

YOU ONCE COULD WATCH THAT HAPPEN AT NASA'S 'STEREO WEBSITE, https://stereodata.nascom.nasa.gov/beacon/beacon_secchi.shtml, BUT THE "BEHIND" CAMERA CEASED FUNCTIONING SOME TIME BACK AND WE DON'T GET THOSE IMAGES MUCH FROM "STEREO" ANYMORE.

"Communications with the STEREO Behind spacecraft were interrupted on October 1, 2014 immediately after a planned reset of the spacecraft performed as part of a test of solar conjunction operations.

The spacecraft telemetry indicated an anomaly in the guidance and control system.

On Sunday, August 21, 2016, contact was reestablished with the STEREO Behind spacecraft for the first time in 22 months.

However, no signal has been received since September 23, 2016, which indicates that the spacecraft's orbital motion has carried it to a position where either the low gain antennae cannot currently communicate with Earth, or the solar panels are not sufficiently illuminated.

Follow this link for more information.

Launched in 2006, the STEREO mission achieved its prime science goals within the two-year prime mission, but continues to explore solar and heliospheric activity through the current solar maximum and beyond."


YEAH, WHATEVER....
WE WENT FROM HAVING ADVANCED WARNING TO HAVING NOT MUCH.

FOR A FAIR READ ON SOLAR FLARES, CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS, SEE
http://www.thesuntoday.org/tag/coronal-mass-ejection/

THAT WEBSITE SEEKS TO CALM THE MASSES AND DOES A GOOD JOB OF THAT, BUT ITS IMAGERY AND HISTORICAL DATA ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE AND A BIT AWESOME....EVEN IF "CURRENT NEWS" IS CONSIDERABLY TONED-DOWN TO ASSUAGE ANYONE'S FEARS.

WHAT'S TO FEAR?
WHY WOULD ANYONE PANIC?

THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, REALISM IS REAL.

WE SIMPLY NEED A STEADY INPUT OF DATA SO WE CAN DECIDE WHAT WE NEED TO DO, OR EVEN WHAT WE WANT TO DO.


I JUST WANTED TO GIVE READERS THIS "HEADS-UP" SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.
WE CAN'T CHANGE THINGS, BUT WE CAN BE AWARE.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

ALL THE BEST, BE WELL AND FREE.

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