solar flare

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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...

It's the Biggest Solar Flare in Years

Northern lights could put on a show this weekend

(Newser) - Some wild solar weather has produced the biggest solar flare since 2017, and there's a good chance of seeing the northern lights in some areas over the weekend. On Thursday, the massive solar flare triggered shortwave radio blackouts in Europe and Africa, Space.com reports. It measured X9.05...

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...

You Might Catch Some Cool Aurora Action Monday

Geomagnetic storm watch due to solar flare could also interfere with radio transmissions, per NOAA

(Newser) - Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, saying an outburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth. It could also make for great aurora viewing. There's no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert issued...

Many in US May Glimpse Northern Lights This Weekend

Thanks to solar flare, aurora borealis may be visible in northern parts of the country, if all factors align

(Newser) - The bad news: A solar flare is about to slam into the Earth. The good news: Parts of the US may get quite the sky show because of it. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a level G3 (i.e., strong) "geomagnetic...

No Promises, but Aurora Borealis May Be Heading Our Way

Unpredictable sky show may appear in skies over northern United States on Thursday

(Newser) - The sun had a somewhat volatile week, and as a result, parts of the northern United States may get a rare sky show Thursday night . Per USA Today and AccuWeather , a solar flare burst out of the sun on Monday, producing a coronal mass ejection (CME)—a ball of plasma...

Bank Warns of Potential Disasters Worse Than Pandemic
Bank Warns of
Potential Disasters
Worse Than Pandemic
in case you missed it
Jun 21, 2020 7:30 AM CDT

Bank Warns of Potential Disasters Worse Than Pandemic

Deutsche Bank says there is a 1 in 3 chance of a worse catastrophe in the next decade

(Newser) - Financial markets are starting to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic amid promising signs from world economies—but Deutsche Bank doesn't pay its analysts to be optimists. In a report issued Tuesday, those analysts warned that there is a one-in-three chance of an event even more devastating than the pandemic...

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...

One-Two Punch From the Sun Knocks Out Radios

X9-level solar flare was preceded by weaker one on Wednesday

(Newser) - In what one space scientist says is "just part of living with a star," two solar events rocked the cosmos Wednesday, one of them strong enough to knock out radio communications for up to an hour. Scientific American reports on a pair of X-class solar flares (the most...

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...

White House Preparing for Catastrophic Solar Flares

'This is a real and present danger'

(Newser) - If a giant solar flare hit the Earth, it could knock out the entire power grid, meaning no more new Justin Bieber singles, no more televised presidential debates, and no more Facebook photos of babies. But it wouldn't be all good news. The Washington Post reports the electromagnetic pulse—...

Scientists Puzzled by Huge Sunspot

Magnetic burst deemed 'too complicated for us' to grasp

(Newser) - Scientists scratched their heads this week over a massive sunspot, partly because it posed no threat to human civilization. The burst of solar magnetic activity, one of the biggest on record, whipped up powerful flares but didn't spew coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can bring down Earth's power...

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...

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....

In Time for the 4th: Solar Fireworks?

Electrically charged particle belch could light up sky

(Newser) - The most intriguing fireworks tomorrow may already have been sparked 93 million miles from Earth. The sun yesterday belched out a major a M5.6-class solar flare—extremely close in power to a maximum X-class flare, notes Discovery . The flare from the large sunspot known as AR1515 produced waves of...

NASA Captures Massive Sun Blast

Huge solar explosion will affect spacecraft but not Earth

(Newser) - A blast of super-heated plasma big enough to scorch dozens of Earths erupted from the sun yesterday, providing NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory with stunning images. The coronal mass ejection, which followed a solar flare, was not aimed toward Earth, but two NASA spacecraft—including the Spitzer Space Telescope—will...

Huge Solar Flare Erupts on Sun
 Huge Solar Flare Erupts on Sun 
Mar 7, 2012 8:28 AM CST

Huge Solar Flare Erupts on Sun

Huge explosion has potential to disrupt communication across Earth

(Newser) - The sun blasted out a massive solar flare last night, one that could have the potential to cause blackouts and other problems here on Earth, the Washington Post reports. The flare was an X5-class, the strongest category of flare, and, according to NOAA, "one of the largest solar flares...

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