Sun sent 28 solar flares erupting through space in a week… and there may be more on the way

Violent: The fourth of the Sun's massive X-class flares in a fortnight, which peaked on October 29 is pictured. The image by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows light in wavelengths of both 304 and 193 Angstroms


More than two dozen solar flares have erupted from the Sun in the past seven days, catapulting radiation towards the Earth that could potentially play havoc with global communications.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued four radio blackout warnings in the past two days after solar weather suddenly turned turbulent.

Radiation from flares cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere to harm life on the ground, but when intense enough it can disturb the atmosphere in the ionosphere, where GPS and radio signals travel.

Since October 23 the Sun has let loose with 24 medium-strength M-class solar flares, and four X-class flares - the most powerful kind.

In fact, with our local star heading towards the peak of its 11-year cycle, a period known as the solar maximum, this shouldn't be unusual. But lead up to the solar max has been unusually subdued this year.

Humans have tracked the solar cycle continuously since it was discovered in 1843, and it is normal for there to be many flares a day during the sun's peak activity.

Holly Gilbert, a solar physicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, told the Los Angeles Times: 'It hadn't been active in months, so it's like it finally woke up.

'For those of us who study the dynamics of the sun, it is exciting because it gives us more events to study.'

Solar flares happen when energy stored in magnetic fields twisted across the surface of the Sun is suddenly released.

'You get a tangled bunch of magnetic fields, and they get too tangled and too stressed, they end up erupting,' added Dr Gilbert.


The recent solar flare activity has also been accompanied by several coronal mass ejections (CMEs), say Nasa officials.

There are another kind of solar phenomenon that send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later.

Like the radiation from solar flares, these particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth; but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground.

Sou rce

It's interesting that after such a quiet period with solar flares, they've suddenly picked back up.
I was reading another article about how in the U.S. they aren't prepared for CME's, they have nothing in place in case a CME fries the electric grid. Apparently we are massively overdue a direct hit from a big CME that could plunge us into darkness without power. Read here

What is the usual amount of flares that gets spat out normally?

A question for those more knowledgeable about CME's here......with all the talk of the possibility of blackouts approaching, and the horrendous consequences that would bring...would it be possible to blame a man induced blackout on the Sun, or would there be just too many organizations that monitor the suns activity who would be able to cry foul immediately?

Or vice versa, a natural blackout be blamed on a terror organization or another country?

Most false flags are easier to disguise as terror attacks or similar, but could you do the same with a CME?

All the average citizen would see is the effects, as in no electric....cue panic, riots, danger to health/life etc....but do you think it's possible we could be lied to regarding the cause, or is anything to do with the sun just too watched by too many independent people (astronomers and the likes) to be able to pull a false flag?

Does frying of electrics by the sun leave a different fingerprint than if it was done purposely here on earth?

Thanks.

CX.

So is it much more likely to get skin cancer if you are sunbathing during it's peak?
How long are these events going to last?
I hate the f@*king sun I hope it gets much darker and colder...

reply to post by CX


Actually, that's a really good question. I hadn't considered that at all. I've been aware of the upcoming Grid Ex 2 exercise, and the solar flares recently, but hadn't connected the two. Must go and think about this and dig about some more...you could have a very good point. Thank you.

Dr1Akula
So is it much more likely to get skin cancer if you are sunbathing during it's peak?
How long are these events going to last?
I hate the f@*king sun I hope it gets much darker and colder...

I don't know if it's easier, but I ended up with melanoma this year. Took a couple of sccops off of my arm and shoulder, and have been fine since. I think you would have to go back and look at past solar maximums and skin cancer rates and compare them to other nonpeak years.

That new sunspot is nasty looking. There is another that will be turning this way in about a week that had a big flare on the backside too. I think we are starting to see the second peak now, just in time for Ison. Maybe one of these flares will light up Ison and make it more impressive, it is kind of wimpy looking yet.

Nothing like cutting down a comet to get it fired up I used to cut down my 71 comet, it was a tin can with a V8

reply to post by sarahlm


Thanks for the update. Looks like the big ones are starting, despite predictions of a quiet maximum.

S&F& : up :

reply to post by sarahlm


You mean like this one?