The Sun is alive and kicking! Or well, burning and throwing off spectacular flares. Not to long ago (the 17th I think), we got hit with a blast from the Sun. It provided some awesome auroras for those at latitude's high enough to enjoy it. Well, on the 25th the Sun let out another belch:
This was a large flare (M3-class) generated from sunspot 1163, and the video is as seen from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The Earth was spared the Sun's wrath this time, as the sunspot was behind the limb of the Sun (not facing towards us, in astronomy 'limb' means the outer edge of an object). No plasma clouds headed our way. According to Spaceweather.com, the only effect on the Earth was "ultraviolet radiation spilled over to create waves of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere. Low-frequency radio signals, which bounce off of ionized air, were strongly disturbed."
Sunspot 1163 is turning towards the Earth however, and if eruptions continue, we will be seeing some activity.
The peak of the solar cycle is predicted for May 2013, So we still have a little more then 2 years to go (it is an 11 year cycle). But we are definitely on the up swing in activity, and the show only gets better between now and then.
AnthropoSeptic and Because I Make Sense, both of your answers are tied together. The Sun is a sphere, a really big one, so a sunspot on the limb is on the side of the Sun from our perspective, being behind it is just over the horizon, and when on it, the sunspot will be just visible. This effects how much radiation is coming at us. If this explosion was on our side, we would have seen much more effects in the upper atmosphere, a geomagnetic storm. Large flaring can cause huge geomagnetic storms, the last large one on record was 1989, which produced Aurora as far south as Texas and disrupted power throughout most of Quebec. Since then, most electrical grids have been upgraded to handle geomagnetic storms. So there might not be a huge impact on your lives, but radio and cell phone use would probably be hampered.
Wow, amazing stuff. And to think the size of that flare would extend laterally well over 100 (1000?) times the diameter of the Earth. Great stuff, thanks for the post, and I like your blog.
I always get nervous when the sun starts back up like this, maybe because I listen to too much George Nory on Coast-to-Coast A.M. LOL
But seriously, what are the chances and all of our technology being wiped out one day because of a stray solar flare making a direct hit and causing an EM pulse that knocks us back a couple centuries?
Aaron, it's actually a pretty small chance. But that doesn't mean it isn't possible. We could very well be knocked back the to dark ages. We don't know that much about how powerful these storms can be, and stories of huge geomagnetic storms before electricity exist in history. I wouldn't bet on it happening any time soon, and like I said, most power grids have contingencies.
There hasn't been much damage. And its usually only isolated to one or two days, depends on how large the cloud of charged particles is. Mostly just radio interference at high latitudes. I don't know that there has been any monetary damage caused, probably not.
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Astronomy Pirate
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Very interesting! Thanks for the education about the sun :)
Isn't the Sun supposed to reach the peak of its solar cycle soon? Great post by the way, thanks for sharing!
I didn't know that could happen.
The peak of the solar cycle is predicted for May 2013, So we still have a little more then 2 years to go (it is an 11 year cycle). But we are definitely on the up swing in activity, and the show only gets better between now and then.
seriously, outer space is incredible.
Good to see the suns still rockin' and a rollin'.
Yeah I heard the solar flares was causing satellite problems back here on earth.
I love to see the flares, but I'd just like to know what the effects of any larger flares erupting toward us will have.
That's so awesome. And the quality of this video is amazing.
I was surprised sunspots could have such a huge effect on earth.
So what happens when it's not behind the limb?
Really amazing! and interesting too!
its crazy how the sun is just a giant fireball..
AnthropoSeptic and Because I Make Sense, both of your answers are tied together. The Sun is a sphere, a really big one, so a sunspot on the limb is on the side of the Sun from our perspective, being behind it is just over the horizon, and when on it, the sunspot will be just visible. This effects how much radiation is coming at us. If this explosion was on our side, we would have seen much more effects in the upper atmosphere, a geomagnetic storm. Large flaring can cause huge geomagnetic storms, the last large one on record was 1989, which produced Aurora as far south as Texas and disrupted power throughout most of Quebec. Since then, most electrical grids have been upgraded to handle geomagnetic storms. So there might not be a huge impact on your lives, but radio and cell phone use would probably be hampered.
thx for the vid, so impressive, our god the sun
This is really cool, love Astronomy. Will follow for sure.
Shocked, frankly, here.
Oh wow I watched that video 3 times. Loving your blog :3
Good info mate.
Read most of your articles, very interesting as always
Wow, amazing stuff. And to think the size of that flare would extend laterally well over 100 (1000?) times the diameter of the Earth. Great stuff, thanks for the post, and I like your blog.
I think sunspots are the next part of the world ending in 2012.
nice! didnt know all of that :)
Very interesting man
intresting info. the sun is too hot for my liking tho
How large are these flares then (relative to Earth)? Seems like they're the size of a large Planet from the vidoes I've watched.
Flares can vary in size. But they can be hundreds of times the size of the earth.
I always get nervous when the sun starts back up like this, maybe because I listen to too much George Nory on Coast-to-Coast A.M. LOL
But seriously, what are the chances and all of our technology being wiped out one day because of a stray solar flare making a direct hit and causing an EM pulse that knocks us back a couple centuries?
Aaron, it's actually a pretty small chance. But that doesn't mean it isn't possible. We could very well be knocked back the to dark ages. We don't know that much about how powerful these storms can be, and stories of huge geomagnetic storms before electricity exist in history. I wouldn't bet on it happening any time soon, and like I said, most power grids have contingencies.
How have these flares been affecting global communications networks over the past couple weeks?
I'm really curious how much damage this can do to us.
Astronomy is the sickest thing ever. It's my damn guilty pleasure.
Following :D
There hasn't been much damage. And its usually only isolated to one or two days, depends on how large the cloud of charged particles is. Mostly just radio interference at high latitudes. I don't know that there has been any monetary damage caused, probably not.
amazing vid!
I'm a chemist, so I try to stay away from all this stuff, but this is actually pretty cool.
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