Blog Archives
Solar Actvity- X Class Flares
The sun is currently undergoing “solar maximum” — a period of peak activity in its 11 year solar cycle. So far, solar max has been mediocre at best, but as this explosive trio has just shown us, don’t count the sun out quite yet — we could be in for a period of rather inclement space weather courtesy of AR 1748.
Stay tuned! Space weather…!!!
2012 DA14 Asteroid Approaching Earth!!!
Asteroid 2012 DA14 will approach within 17,200 miles of Earth when it zooms by during its close encounter this Friday, Feb. 15. That is the closest an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14, which is about 150 feet wide, that astronomers have known about in advance, NASA scientists said.
The asteroid will not only pass between Earth and the moon’s orbit, but also fly lower than the ring of geosynchronous communications, weather and navigationsatellites that fly high above the planet. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be 5,000 miles closer to Earth than those satellites during the flyby.
No IMPACT is expected. Well, I sure hope so! My biggest fear is a meteor impact causing mile high waves from the ocean.
X-class Solar Flare!!!
New sunspot AR1598 has erupted again. On Oct. 23rd at 0322 UT, Earth orbiting satellites detected a strong X1-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash: movie.
Radiation from the flare created waves of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia and Australia (the daylit side of Earth) and possibly HF radio blackouts at high latitudes. The blast did not, however, produce a significant coronal mass ejection (CME). No auroras are expected to result from this event.
This is the 4th significant flare from AR1598 since it emerged over the southeastern limb only three days ago. This means more flares are probably in the offing, and they will become increasingly Earth-directed as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the days ahead. Stay tuned for updates.
CinDeepThoughts 