New sunspots producing space weather
 |
| Credit: NASA/STEREO |
On Jan.
13, 2013, at 2:24 a.m. EST, the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass
ejection or CME. Not to be confused with a solar flare, a CME is a solar
phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and reach Earth one to
three days later. Experimental NASA research models, based on
observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the
ESA/NASA mission the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, show that the CME left
the sun at speeds of 275 miles per second. This is a fairly typical speed for
CMEs, though much slower than the fastest ones, which can be almost ten times
that speed.
When Earth-directed, CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon
called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they successfully connect up with
the outside of Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended
period of time. In the past, CMEs of this speed have not caused substantial
geomagnetic storms. They have caused auroras near the poles but are unlikely to
affect electrical systems on Earth or interfere with GPS or satellite-based
communications systems.
Two active regions -- named AR 11652 and AR 11654 by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) -- have produced four
low-level M-class flares since Jan. 11. Solar flares are powerful bursts of
light and radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's
atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however, when intense
enough, they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and
communications signals travel. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can
still cause some space weather effects near Earth. The recent flares caused
weak radio blackouts and their effects have already subsided.
Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight
Center
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Posted by Unknown
on Tuesday, January 15, 2013.
Filed under
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