Solar Wind Stream to reach Earth around February 10, 2010
Text from similar event in 2009 via Doom Daily Newspaper.
A solar wind stream [watch animation above for coronal mass ejections occurring on the 1st and 7th] flowing from a coronal hole should reach Earth on or about February 10th.
The solar wind is a stream of electrically charged particles blown constantly from the Sun. The magnetosphere is a cavity formed when the solar wind encounters the Earth's magnetic field. When the solar wind density is high and comes up against the magnetosphere, the magnetosphere gets compressed. When the wind density is low, the magnetosphere expands. Researchers discovered that the solar wind contains periodic structures of high and low density, driving a periodic "breathing" action of the magnetosphere and the global generation of magnetic waves.
It's known that if the frequency of these waves matches the frequency of the electrons in their motion in the Van Allen belt, the electrons can be accelerated, significantly boosting their energies. The process is similar to a boogyboarder catching a wave. Some electrons "ride the wave" and gain so much energy that they can then damage expensive spacecraft, satellites and ground base electronics if severe enough.
From time to time, actually around once every month, there is a strange increase in the radiation levels, a sudden spike that creates extremely strong streams of electrons that produce damage to electrical girds and appliances on Earth and can affect the DNA of an unfortunate astronaut caught outside the shuttle or the space station.
Van Allen radiation belts around the Earth. Source: San Jose State University.
This can affect satellites, can disturb GPS systems and can induce unexpected currents in the electrical grid. What causes this strange acceleration? The most recent quest for the solution of this old puzzle was taken by a team of scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico that has examined data collected over the past few years from the laboratory's instruments mounted on five different satellites in geosynchronous orbit at various altitudes.
Recorded instances of the effects of solar winds on earth are the displacement of the magnetic pole between 900 and 1500 B.C. from its original position near Murmansk in Russia to its present position near Canada. This displacement is attributed to the Aurorae. In 1989 geomagnetic storms caused the destruction of the Hydro Quebec grid and many Canadians had to go without power for nine hours. The same storm affected the microchips in computers and caused the disruption of the Stock market in Canada. In 1998, the backup files of the heavily used communication satellite Galaxy were destroyed by a geomagnetic storm in outer space caused by solar winds, consequently halting the service to of 45 million pagers.
They found the phenomenon is caused by an unknown acceleration process inside the Van Allen belts. The interesting part of the study is the fact that it shows how the Sun is not the only one responsible for the sudden increase in radiation hitting Earth, although many times it coincides with the incidence of solar storms.
You can see the live imagery below: You will notice increases in Wind Speeds. As they increase you will know it has arrived.
~ ~ ~
UPDATE: BIG SUNSPOT: The sudden emergence of big sunspot 1045 over the weekend has caused a sharp uptick in solar activity. The active region has produced three M-class and almost a dozen C-class solar flares since it appeared on Saturday. The strongest blast, an M6-class eruption on Feb. 7th, may have hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead as a result of this activity. Also, ham radio operators are picking up strong solar radio bursts using shortwave receivers. Sample sounds and images may be found at http://spaceweather.com.
SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when the next geomagnetic storm erupts? Sign up for Spaceweather PHONE: http://spaceweatherphone.com.
New subscribers may sign up for free space weather alerts at http://spaceweather.com/services/.
~ ~ ~
"Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
0 comments:
Post a Comment