solar storm

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This Week's Sun 'Burp' Gave Us Quite a Show

Unusually strong solar storm made northern lights, aka aurora borealis, visible farther south than usual

(Newser) - Another in a series of unusually strong solar storms hitting Earth produced stunning skies Thursday night and early Friday full of pinks, purples, greens, and blues farther south than normal, including into parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England, and New York City. "It was a pretty extensive...

Severe Solar Storm Could Stress Power Grids Even More
US Issues
Severe
Solar Storm
Watch
Oct 10, 2024 12:30 AM CDT

US Issues Severe Solar Storm Watch

Geomagnetic storm could stress power grids even more

(Newser) - A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the US deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun...

Northern Lights May Be Returning to Our Skies

Sunspot cluster that triggered recent viewings is back

(Newser) - The region of sunspots that delivered epic aurora viewing to people around the world earlier this month is back in sight, bringing more potential viewing opportunities as early as Friday. After rotating behind the western edge of the sun mid-month, the region of the sun formerly named Active Region 13664...

'Not Done Yet!' The Sun Emits Another Massive Solar Flare

This one appears to have only glanced Earth, so don't expect amazing auroras

(Newser) - The sun produced its biggest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, just days after severe solar storms pummeled Earth and created dazzling northern lights in unaccustomed places, per the AP . "Not done yet!" the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in an update. It's the biggest flare...

The Sky Put On Quite a Show Last Night

Spectacular display of northern lights was visible throughout US, world due to powerful solar storm

(Newser) - An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of color in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere early Saturday, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached...

NOAA Issues Rare Storm Watch for Weekend

Solar event headed toward Earth could disrupt communications, spur northern lights sightings

(Newser) - A strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the United States and potentially disrupt communications this weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare geometric storm watch—the first in nearly 20 years. The watch starts Friday and lasts all weekend, per the AP...

Tree Rings Reveal Biggest Solar Storm Ever
Tree Rings Reveal
Biggest Solar Storm Ever
NEW STUDY
Oct 12, 2023 10:19 AM CDT

Tree Rings Reveal Biggest Solar Storm Ever

We hope to avoid another Miayake Event like this one, dated to 14.3K years ago

(Newser) - Scientists have found evidence of the largest solar storm known to date, one of such power that it would devastate life as we know it if we were to feel the effects today, per the BBC . The team analyzed slices of ancient trees undergoing the fossilization process on the eroded...

NASA Catches the Sun 'Smiling'
The Sun May Be
Laughing at Us
Oct 31, 2022 8:59 AM CDT

The Sun May Be Laughing at Us

Or at least 'smiling,' as NASA captions an odd satellite image

(Newser) - A NASA satellite has captured an odd image of the sun—it looks for all the world as if our famous star is "smiling," as the space agency puts it in a tweet . NASA explains that the dark patches making up the image are "known as coronal...

Chance of Seeing Aurora From US Just Went Up

Strong geomagnetic storm could put on a show in some states

(Newser) - US skywatchers could be in for a rare sight: The northern lights could be seen as far south as Pennsylvania over the next several days amid the potential for a strong geomagnetic storm. Beginning Sunday, the sun sent out various bursts, including multiple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which Live...

40 of 49 New SpaceX Satellites May Have Already Burned

Company says geomagnetic storm on Friday is cause

(Newser) - SpaceX launched 49 of its Starlink satellites on Thursday, only to report days later that up to 40 are doomed to fall from orbit and burn up in Earth's atmosphere. The company attributed the loss to a geomagnetic storm on Friday. That storm increased atmospheric density some 130 miles...

Why 4K Mines Exploded for No Apparent Reason

A new paper looks millions of miles away

(Newser) - A new paper says dozens—and by one account about four thousand—US mines exploded during the Vietnam war for a pretty strange reason, Atlas Obscura reports. Published in Space Weather , the paper concludes that a 1972 solar storm triggered the mines: "I was completely taken aback" by the...

New Study Claims the Sun May Have Caused 29 Whales to Die

Researchers say changes to Earth's magnetic field may be to blame

(Newser) - In the first weeks of 2016, 29 sperm whales were found stranded and dead off the coasts of Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Germany, the BBC reports. The whales had been generally healthy, and scientists were confounded as to what had caused them to enter the dangerously shallow waters of...

The Sun Nearly Caused Nuclear War in 1967

Solar flares made it seem like the USSR was jamming US radars

(Newser) - The sun was nearly responsible for the Cold War going nuclear 50 years ago, according to a study released this week. On May 23, 1967, three US Ballistic Missile Early Warning System radar sites seemed to be jammed. CBS News reports it appeared to the US Air Force, which was...

The Sun Is Obliterating Mars' Atmosphere

Solar storms hit with energy of 'one large nuclear weapon per hour'

(Newser) - Scientists might finally have an explanation for how Mars went from an Earth-like, potentially life-sustaining planet to a cold ball of rock barely capable of keeping a single Matt Damon alive . Discovery reports the sun has been "blasting away" the planet's once-thick atmosphere for the past few billion...

Solar Storm Headed Our Way
 Solar Storm Headed Our Way 
Sep 11, 2014 3:50 PM CDT

Solar Storm Headed Our Way

It's relatively big, but no major problems expected for power grid

(Newser) - If by chance your GPS is acting a little weird tomorrow or Saturday, this might be why: A relatively big solar storm is coming our way, reports USA Today . Scientists say no major disruptions in the power grid are expected, but satellite operators are on alert. The sun unleashed a...

Solar Blast Nearly Sent Earth to Stone Age
 2012 Solar Blast 
 Nearly Sent Earth 
 to Stone Age 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jul 27, 2014 6:55 AM CDT

2012 Solar Blast Nearly Sent Earth to Stone Age

We almost lost electricity, GPS, running water, at least for a while

(Newser) - Imagine life without electricity or running water, and you'll understand what nearly befell our planet two years ago. Scientists say that on July 23, 2012, the sun belched its biggest solar flare in more than 150 years and barely missed us, CBS News reports. A week earlier and the...

Watch a Solar Wave Burst Out of the Sun

Blast thankfully wasn't pointed at Earth

(Newser) - NASA has released a seriously cool video of a massive solar wave—what the cool kids call a "coronal mass ejection"—that its Solar Dynamics Observatory captured over a 2.5-hour stretch yesterday. While these kinds of sun storms have been known to mess with satellites or even...

NASA Captures Spectacular Solar Storm

Huge flare could have swallowed several Earths

(Newser) - The sun spat out a solar flare big enough to swallow the Earth several times over last week and NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the amazing sight. The filament, resembling a massive "solar whip," was ejected at 900 miles per second during the sun's eruption. NASA...

Solar Storm Tomorrow: Scientists Not Worried

No grid disruptions are expected

(Newser) - Another solar storm is hurtling toward Earth and will collide with our planet's magnetic field beginning tomorrow morning and lasting into Sunday. But don't fret, say scientists. The event is minor, and "we don't see any ill effects to any systems," says a space forecaster....

Do We Need to Protect Grid From Sunstorms?

Officials clash over whether to upgrade system

(Newser) - The peak in the 11-year cycle of solar flares happens next year, but electricity regulators have made little progress in deciding how much protection the power grid needs, the Wall Street Journal finds. They are reviewing records as far back as the 1859 "superstorm," the strongest solar storm...

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