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47771
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G3): Three and perhaps four CMEs are heading for Earth following a series of explosions on the sun this week. Estimated time of arrival: Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st. The biggest of the CMEs, launched on Nov. 28th, could sweep up some of the earlier, lesser ones, forming a Cannibal CME capable of sparking strong G3-class geomagnetic storms with mid-latitude auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text ALMOST-X CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Sunspot AR3500 erupted on Nov. 28th (1950 UT), producing an M9.8-class solar flare (only percentage points below category X). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:  A pulse of extreme ultraviolet radiation blacked out shortwave radio communications across the South Pacific Ocean and parts of the Americas: map. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below ~20 MHz for as much as an hour after the flare. Of greater interest is the CME. The explosion hurled one directly toward Earth. This SOHO coronagraph movie shows a halo cloud expanding in our direction faster than 800 km/s (1.8 million mph  According to a NASA model, this CME will strike Earth midday (UT) on Dec. 1st. It might sweep up one of several slower CMEs ahead of it. If so, it could form a Cannibal CME capable of causing a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm |
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[47785] [47786] [47788] [47789] [47791] [47798] [47792] [47793] [47799] [47794] [47795] [47773] [47772]
47785
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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Northern lights: Chance to see aurora returns Friday as solar storm continues by Alix Martichoux and Addy Bink - 12/01/23 2:06 PM ET (NEXSTAR) – Dazzling auroras may light up the skies of northern states again Friday night, and we’ve got ongoing geomagnetic storm activity to thank. The solar storm activity peaked Thursday night into early Friday morning, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of NOAA. “While it’s correct that the really big increase in activity is now on the decline, it doesn’t mean we are out of this yet,” Lt. Bryan Brasher, a project manager with the Center, said on Friday. “We are still forecasting continued storming for this evening, with a possibility of aurora becoming visible over the far Northern Tier states this evening.” Even as things calm down, multiple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, can still impact Earth as our magnetosphere “bounces back,” Brasher said. CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic material from the sun that can impact navigation, communication and radio signals on Earth. They’re also able to cause auroras by creating currents in Earth’s magnetic fields that send particles to the North and South Poles, which then interact with oxygen and nitrogen, according to NASA. Early Friday morning, NOAA confirmed a strong solar storm occurred, classified as a G-3 on the strength scale. When a storm reaches G-3 status, an aurora can be viewed as far south as Illinois and Oregon. Overnight Friday and into Saturday morning, the storm is expected to weaken to a G-1. According to the scale, a minor G-1 storm leads to auroras commonly being visible in Maine and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 11 states have ‘high’ or ‘very high’ respiratory illness: Map shows where sickness is spreading The map below shows the forecast for Friday night. Areas in red have the greatest likelihood of seeing the auroras, while those in green are less likely to see them. The thinner red line is considered the view line, so even those outside of the green and red areas could see the northern lights if they’re along that line. The view line for Friday night extends down into Washington, Idaho, Montana, northern Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, far northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. But with weaker levels of solar storms, as we’re expecting Friday night, auroras may be harder to spot. Brasher said folks up north hoping to spot northern lights should look for the red-tinted “tops” of the aurora. Using a phone camera set to “night mode” or a camera with a long exposure could also help make the aurora visible, he said. As with any northern lights, staying far away from city light pollution is key for spotting the phenomenon. Clear skies without cloud cover will also be necessary to see any pretty light patterns. On the other end of the scale from Friday’s anticipated G-1, solar activity that causes a G-5 storm (the highest possible classification) has been known to make an aurora appear in Florida and even southern Texas (though other factors need to align to bring them that far south.) |
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[47786] [47788] [47789] [47791] [47798] [47792] [47793] [47799] [47794] [47795]
47786
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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Thanks! |
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[47788] [47789] [47791] [47798] [47792] [47793] [47799] [47794] [47795]
47788
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/northern-lights-appear-near-las-vegas-nevada-18527838.php
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image is from a light show in april... 'Skies were mostly clear': Northern lights captured near Las Vegas By Amy GraffDec 1, 2023 The Northern Lights observed in southern Nevada on April 23, 2023. Courtesy of Matthew Woods A meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas found webcam footage showing the northern lights, aka aurora borealis, appearing over southern Nevada early Friday morning. Matthew Woods knew to check webcams for the aurora borealis Friday morning because National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center had forecast a strong geomagnetic storm would occur. He spotted the aurora, which appear as pillars of light traveling across the sky, in footage captured by a Bureau of Land Management camera on Angel Peak at nearly 9,000 feet. The mountain is 30 miles from the Strip, as the crow flies. “First I checked webcams farther north, but there was too much cloud cover,” Woods said. “Here over southern Nevada, skies were mostly clear.” While most of you were sleeping this morning, the #northernlights made a brief appearance in Southern Nevada around 4:30 AM! These images were captured via the @blmnv Angel Peak webcam. #nvwx pic.twitter.com/1JAR5buSR8 — NWS Las Vegas (@NWSVegas) December 1, 2023 Advertisement Article continues below this ad Woods has observed northern lights before and photographed them outside Las Vegas from the Desert View Overlook near Lee Canyon in April (see photo at the top of the story). So he knew what to look for on the webcam. “I was prepared to go out and take some photos myself, but it arrived too late and I was like, ‘I have to go to work in the morning,’” he said. “I don’t think you would have seen it if you were standing in Vegas. I think there was too much light pollution.” The webcam footage features a 10-second timelapse of 90 minutes of footage, he said. Bryan Brasher, a project manager with the prediction center, viewed the video. “It’s very likely the aurora, but keep in mind you couldn’t have asked for better conditions,” Brasher said. “You’re at the top of a big mountain. … The higher you are the further north you can see. You had ideal viewing conditions combined with the fact that we had conditions in the forecast that things [the aurora] could get farther south than normal.” Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Dec. 1 geomagnetic storm was a level 3 out of 5 on NOAA’s scale. These storms occur during “coronal mass ejections,” when the sun unleashes powerful bursts of energy and throws out giant balls of plasma, Brasher said. When the charged plasma particles enter Earth’s magnetic field, they excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules that emit light. “Last night was an interesting one because over a couple days, the sun had a couple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs,” he said. “There were four different ones ejected from the sun. … The last of those four was the most Earth-directed, pointed straight at us. The fourth one, you can imagine like a snow plough. The first three cleared the way, so the fourth went faster than it otherwise would have.” The northern lights most commonly occur in far northerly latitudes over remote locations such as Greenland and Iceland, but during strong storms, like the Dec. 1 one, they can appear farther south. “The aurora is a very complex and it’s not unusual for the aurora to appear further south than is forecast,” Brasher said. “It’s a highly complex phenomenon based on innumerable variables. … Things outside our forecast are possible.” |
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47789
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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A beautiful sight, one I have wanted to see with my own eyes someday but doubtfully in Florida though on a rare occasion, twice since I have been here that I know of red auroras have been spotted but I missed seeing them as unexpected. ~Eve ---* excerpt: "We witnessed an incredible show on the Canterbury coastline overlooking the Pacific Ocean," reports Mike White from New Zealand. "The sound of waves crashing onto the beach and washing across the stony pebbles created the perfect soundtrack for these Southern Lights." 
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47791
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
| i remember when i was 6 or 7 my dad woke everyone up about 2 in the morning...he rushed us outside and there, in the very dark night sky of rural minnesota, we watched the aurora dance across the sky for a couple hours...a wild experience for my young brain...later in my, in alaska, also in a rural setting with dark skies, i again watched the aurora many times, in awe... |
47798
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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Someday--would love to see them myself. What an awesome opportunity you had and wonderful memory. |
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47792
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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I imagine I would be in awe if it were me as well. |
47793
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
| the shrooms helped...lol... |
47799
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
| LOL! |
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47794
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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As a child? |
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[47795]
47795
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
| lol...i was in my 30s when i was in alaska... |
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47773
From: Wubbo, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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Thanks Eve! "..The biggest of the CMEs, launched on Nov. 28th, could sweep up some of the earlier, lesser ones, forming a Cannibal CME capable of sparking strong G3-class geomagnetic storms..."  |
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47772
From: Eve, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Almost X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed + Geomagnetic Weather
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Responses:
None
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