Static Electricity: Worse when a CME hits?

I have recently been experiencing static electricity when I get out of my car. Yesterday morning, there was absolutely no problem with it, didn't get shocked once. Then about 10:00a.m. I got out of the car after making a run at work, and WOW I got BLASTED with static shock. It kept getting worse every time I went anywhere, to the point where I could SEE an arc.

When I got home, I looked at:
spaceweather.com...

and found this:

AURORAS IN THE USA: A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth on Oct. 24th at approximately 1800 UT (2:00 pm EDT). The impact strongly compressed Earth's magnetic field, directly exposing geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma, and sparked an intense geomagnetic storm. As night fell over North America, auroras spilled across the Canadian border into the contiguous United States

I'm no expert on this, but it seems like every time there is a disturbance in the magnetic field this happens. Any suggestions on how to avoid getting shocked like that?

I understand that when it gets cold, the air gets dryer and there is static build up. It is very dry normally where I live, and I do get zapped from time to time, but this was abnormally strong static, that's what made me post this.
Is it really normal to SEE an arc from static during the day?

If this is in the wrong forum, please move, thanks

I have noticed that during this time of year when it starts getting cold outside and the heaters making it warm on the inside static discharges do seem to increase. That is not to say CMEs do not have an affect but I do not think it would be a significant difference, unless it was something off the charts.

reply to post by Skewed


I always expect SOME static, especially this time of year, like you said. The thing is though, it was after it got warm, the heater was off, and it started arcing. My leg touching the car got zapped, then when I got out and went to close the door, I got zapped again.... shouldn't it have discharged the first time I got zapped?

reply to post by freespirit1


It could be the way you noticed it.

If you have one foot in the car and one on the ground you will get zapped. If you get out without touching anything(jumping out and landing on both feet for example) and then after you clear the car and then touch it you will not discharge, or while you are completely inside the car there will be no discharge. It works the same way as what a power line that has fallen on a car.

Seriously.....WOW(astonished by the lack of logic)

It is becoming colder.....the air gets more dry when it gets cooler......this causes static electricity to increase.....


That is like a 101 level science class

reply to post by THEDUDE86


Did you read any further than the first post? If you did, you would have noticed that I do expect SOME static, but this is an almost unreal, painful shock, not the typical "zap" you get normally.

AND.... if you read it, there was NO static in the morning, when it warmed up outside and right around the time the CME hit was when it started zapping me.

reply to post by freespirit1

I highly doubt there is a link... I think it has more to do with the clothing you wear, time of season and so on.
I had this problem much worse years ago, while lately i haven't gotten shocked in ages.

If there was any link i think we would have known by now and doubt it would only be experienced by part of the population.

Just go and buy some anti static straps for the vehicle , do a web search on it .

"I'm no expert on this, but it seems like every time there is a disturbance in the magnetic field this happens. Any suggestions on how to avoid getting shocked like that?"

THAT is what the TIN FOIL HAT is for! Magnetic and extrasensory blocking.



You should really read the Above Top Secret Emergency Awareness Booklet. It has all kinds of advice for UNnatural phenomenon.

reply to post by redbarron626


Oh CRAP!!! I always forget about the tin foil hat!
Seriously though, I had to stop doing running because it burnt my leg lol...company vehicle so I can't just put anti static straps on it.

I know this sounds a little strange, but try changing your shoes, socks, type of clothing that you wear. All of the synthetic materials in modern clothing may have something to do with this phenomenon.

That AND coronal discharges from that really bright star up in the sky could possibly have something to do with the excess static.

I'm glad you posted the link, OP. Yesterday there were lots of little interruptions on our satellite TV. This morning I noticed a long green streak right down the middle of the picture, which is in the TV screen itself and not a problem with the satellite transmission.

When I pointed it out to my husband, he said there must have been an EMP which somehow zapped the electronics and caused the damage. It's a little annoying to see but we can live with it. I was fixing to blame it on our kitten, who likes to sit next to the TV and watch the action, but it is not physical damage a kitten could do.

Thanks again for the info.

reply to post by FissionSurplus


I am trying to research more on it... when I have a little bit more info pieced together I will post it.
I just seemed odd that there was no static at all in the early morning when I actually expected it, then was burning me in the afternoon

Application to Heliophysics The solar wind is made up of plasma, i.e. a gas of charged particles, that constantly flows away from the Sun. Even when the Sun isn't experiencing a flare or a coronal mass ejection, a constant flow of electrons, protons, and ions moves through space and into the solar system. While many of these charged particles are deflected by the Earth's magnetic field, some do strike satellites in orbit around the Earth. While the strikes of individual electrons, protons, and ions are not damaging, over time, a static charge can build up on the surface of a satellite. If the charge becomes large enough, electronic components on a satellite will be in danger of shorting out. In fact, satellites are built to account for this problem, ensuring that such a charge does not build up on the satellites compononents. Thus, even the more "gentle" constant flow of the solar wind can cause problems with our space technology due to the build up of static electricity.

c2h2.ifa.hawaii.edu...

Hate to bring up an old thread, but I'm observing the exact opposite situation lately.

I was just thinking on this the other day, so I asked my wife about it to see if she has been having the same experience. Normally every Winter, she will slap me before allowing me to touch her, or she touching me. Sounds kind of kinky, doesn't it? But no, the reason for this is that she just HATES to get a static electric shock when we touch each other, so this helps dissipate the charge by masking it with the brief sharp smack of skin on skin. Or at least, so she says......

Anyway, so far this year, we have had NO static electricity whatsoever to deal with. None. Normally I go to bed long after the wife has retired, so I would take off my clothes in complete darkness so as not to disturb her sleep. While doing that I would often be rewarded with a display of static electricity sparks running all through my clothes as I removed them. I could actually hear the crackling of the sparks at the same time. But no, not had a single incidence of that at all this year. And the wife concurs. She hasn't had any static problems neither. She just never thought about it till I brought it up

No static shocks sliding on or off the seats of the vehicles, neither.

Quite frankly, I don't have a clue about why no static electricity here at all this Winter. It's not like it is any more humid inside nor outside the house. And nothing else has changed that I am aware of. Heck, for all I know, old age just makes a person resistant or repels static electricity. Maybe it's the wrinkles... Just never noticed this sort of thing before.

Just one of those odd observations, I guess, to make me scratch my head over...