TURBULENT SUN CONTINUES TO SHOWER EARTH WITH STORMS

April 10, 2001 — On Earth it's April showers, but in space it's solar storms showering us with billions of tons of electrically charged particles as the sun continues to explode. NOAA's Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., issued a bulletin Tuesday saying that two fast moving coronal mass ejections have occurred within the last 24 hours. These large explosions and storms were produced by a large, complex, active region of the sun, designated by NOAA as 9415. This area is likely to produce additional major events as it makes its way across the sun for the next six days. (Click image from the NASA/European Space Agency SOHO satellite for larger view.)

NOAA space weather forecasters report that these fast moving storms are traveling at an estimated speed of more than 2,000 kilometers per second or 1,200 miles per second. It could hit Earth's magnetic field as early as Tuesday evening at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

This region already produced a strong (R-3) radio blackout at 1:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, followed by a minor solar radiation storm. Strong radio blackouts adversely affect high-frequency radio communications and low-frequency navigation signals on the sunlit side of the Earth.

Forecasters say that solar activity is likely to continue at moderate to strong levels (G-2 to G-3 on NOAA's Space Weather Scales) for the next several days. Ernest Hildner, director of NOAA's Space Environment Center, said, "This strong active region and its bursts of activity are occurring during the maximum epoch of the present activity cycle."

Solar maximum is a period of time during the sun's 11-year solar cycle when it is very active. Solar maximum generally lasts for about three years. The current solar maximum began approximately in 1999.

Strong geomagnetic storms can cause satellites to experience surface charging and orientation problems, and electric power grids can also be affected. Such storms can also interfere with high frequency radio communications.

The flares that produced these storms were categorized by forecasters as an M-7 with a full halo coronal mass ejection that occurred Monday and a second X-2.3 flare also with a full halo CME, that took place at 1:26 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. The region that produced these flares continues to be in a direct line with the Earth and can still produce more storms that would affect Earth's magnetic field, said NOAA forecaster Larry Combs.

"Tonight, the aurora borealis, or northern lights may be visible, possibly as low as the mid latitudes," says forecaster Norm Cohen. This means it could be visible in Illinois or Oregon, depending on the strength of the storm.

NOAA's Space Environment Center is the nation's official source of space weather alerts and warnings and continually monitors and forecasts Earth's space environment.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA's Space Environment Center — Click "Space Weather Now" for the latest information on solar activity.

NOAA's Space Weather Scales

NOAA Space Weather Advisories

Today's Space Weather Forecast — Includes the latest image of the sun from Earth-based telescopes positioned around the world.

Real-time images of the Sun from NASA's SOHO Satellite

SPACE WEATHER - WHAT IS IT AND WHY DO WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT?

NEW NOAA SPACE WEATHER SCALES MAKE SOLAR MAX EFFECTS MORE PREDICTABLE

Media Contact:
Barbara McGehan, NOAA Space Environment Center, Boulder, Colo., at (303) 497-6288

 

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