The call Hurricana Irma "apocalyptic", huge damage continues
and there's an X9.3 solar storm blast that looks like this, with Earth inserted for comparison:
SpaceWeather reports:
A CME struck Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of Sept. 6th. So far the impact has done little to stoke strong geomagnetic activity. Another CME is on the way, however, and it is more potent, having been accelerated in our direction by yesterday's powerful X9-class solar flare. NOAA forecasters say strong G3-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Sept. 8th when the inbound CME arrives. Free: Aurora Alerts
MAJOR X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: On Sept. 6th at 1202 UT, sunspot AR2673 unleashed a new major X9.3-class solar flare--the strongest solar flare in more than a decade. X-rays and UV radiation from the blast ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout over Europe, Africa and the Atlantic Ocean
The CME will probably reach our planet on Sept. 8th, (Sept. 9th in PH), bringing with it a chance of G2- or G3-class geomagnetic storms.
Coronagraph images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory confirm that the explosion also produced a coronal mass ejection (CME) with an Earth-directed component.
Many readers are asking about the historic context of this event. How epic is it? Answer: This is a decade-class flare. A list of the most powerful solar flares recorded since 1976 ranks today's flare at #14, tied with a similar explosion in 1990. However, compared to the iconic Carrington Event of 1859, or even the more recent Halloween storms of 2003, this event is relatively mild. Modern power grids, telecommunications, and other sun sensitive technologies should weather the storm with little difficulty according to SpaceWeather.
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| My yesterday's (Sept 6) post. |
