Posted on by Nancy Atkinson

NOAA: Largest Solar Radiation Storm Since 2005 Now in Progress

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Earth’s magnetic field is already full of activity from an Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) last week. But all indications are another blast is headed our way from the strongest solar radiation storm since September, 2005. NOAA says the storm is currently in progress and continues to get stronger, with a very fast CME headed towards Earth. Sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. “Geomagnetic storming is a near certainty from this event,” reported NOAA. The associated solar flare peaked at about 0400 UTC on January 23 (11pm Jan 22 EST).”

A computer model just released by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts the storm will arrive sometime on January 24, at about 14:18 UT (+/- 7 hours), as the CME is traveling at approx. 2,200 km per second. Click here to see the animated model.

We’ve already shown you a video of the auroral activity going on yesterday and will soon post a gallery of beautiful aurorae from around the world. And it looks like we’ll likely have more photos to share in the coming week! And NASA says skywatchers should be on the lookout for aurora in lower than normal latitudes. Scientists are also predicting that Mars will get hit too, several hours after Earth. At this point, there’s no way to predict the possible effect on Earth-orbiting satellites for communications, GPS, etc, or the effect on Mars spacecraft.

These kinds of events can cause problems for spacecrafts in geosynchronous, polar and other orbits passing could be affected by the cloud’s arrival. In addition, strong geomagnetic storms are possible, so high-latitude sky watchers should be alert for aurorae.

Below is a video from the Solar Dynamics Observatory of the event:

12 Replies to “NOAA: Largest Solar Radiation Storm Since 2005 Now in Progress”

  1. The beautiful auroras may be laden with Fukishima fallout. See the Aesop Institute website to understand the potential mortal danger from strong solar storms.

    1. Who cares about Fukushima fallout when the incoming radiation dwarfs Fukuschima big time. And that is less radiation than the banana that I am eating right now.

      Hiding from polar lights are for sissy’s.

    3. The Aesop Institute assessments are simply alarming but not based in practical or scientific evidence. They also promote free energy machines based on magnets. Not a serious place to look for sun related risks, in my opinion.

      1. Try reading Dire Warnings on the Aesop Institute website for some scientific evidence.

        Since there have been so many deluded inventors, scams and fraud surrounding the possibility of energy from magnetic devices, as it says on the site, nobody is expected to believe it possible until validated by independent laboratories.

        Cheap Green on the website describes other hard to believe technologies. But, one or more may be validated by independent labs this year.

        These are Black Swans, highly improbable innovations with huge implications.

      2. Thanks for the comment. I have now read the “dire warnings” of the Aesop I. in more detail. I must say that I find the site to be scary in general , something I do no much appreciate. However the warnings issued are real – when not too far fetched-. For example, they put EMP and GMD in practically the same threat level. This is not acceptable, EMP being an actual risk from Cold War times but no longer the same risk right now. Rusia and Corea (or Iran) are not comparable in any way and if we could survive the cold war menaces for so many decades I think it will be easier this time.
        Concerning the risks to EHV transformers, I confess it is something I was not aware of, but I have no opinion about it. Must find out more.
        The risk to nuclear plants in case of severe GMD (or EMP) is real, but it is just one of so many potential problems that can endanger those plants. There is only one way to be safer: the recent German way, in other words, abandon this dangerous technology as soon as possible. Which takes us to the last point: The free energy “Black Swans”.
        I think that all of us keep a secret hope: that many of our present , worldwide problems could be solved by some “magic” or long neglected technology. The energy problem (or more exactly, the lack-of-Energy problem) is one of them. I was deeply disappointed by the Methernita’s Thestatika machine many years ago and since then, I simply refuse to discuss free energy or over-unity devices. And the more permanent magnets they have, the worst. That is why I consider a site not to be too much serious when they seem to support these things. But I acknowledge that my assessment towards the AESOP Institute could be a little biased and I apologize for this.

  4. Thank you Earth’s core. Protects us from CME’s and gamma rays most of the time. MOST OF THE TIME? I hope tomorrow isn’t the day it FAILS!

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