Mike Terry wrote:

From CBC News

Last Updated Thu, 23 Oct 2003 13:29:47

BOULDER, COLO. - A strong geomagnetic storm is expected to hit Earth on
Friday. Scientists say it may knock out electrical grids and satellite
communications.

A "sunspot cluster" said to be 10 times the size of Earth could damage
satellites and power grids, as well as cable TV, pager and cellular
telephone service.

Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in
Boulder, Colo., say it is one of the largest sunspot clusters in years.

Larry Combs, a forecaster at the federal Space Environment Center in
Boulder, says the sunspot cluster released a chunk of the sun's outer
atmosphere early Wednesday morning.

NASA's Goddard Space Center says the sunspot clusters produce a "coronal
mass ejection" - an explosion of gas and charged particles from the
outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.

In 1997, television networks in the U.S. were affected when satellites used
to beam programming to local stations were knocked out of service.

Written by CBC News Online staff

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/23/sun_spots031023

I'm hoping for a major aurora. I haven't seen one in many years, usually
because of cloudy weather.


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starman wrote:



I'm hoping for a major aurora. I haven't seen one in many years, usually
because of cloudy weather.

Might see some. Not sure how major though. This flare is still not as
big as some in the recent past. I remember a "Mega flare" a couple of
years ago..Flare status has been "X class" for two days. Flux is up to
183 right now, compared to about 100-110 or so a week ago. I plan to
listen up on 6m today. Usually when the cdx get like this, 6m "50 mhz"
starts to open up. I'll be lurking on 50.125 at times if anyone wants to
holler...I'll probably point the beam to the NE at first...You can get
quicky solar conditions on my web site. http://web.wt.net/~nm5k/
Also a pix of the big ball. I refreshed it a few minutes ago since the
sun is spitting up. It's fresh as of 4 AM central. The yellow version is
pretty knarly looking. I think that big blast in the middle is mainly
what's heading this way. MK


--
http://web.wt.net/~nm5k

"starman" wrote...
I'm hoping for a major aurora. I haven't seen one in many years, usually
because of cloudy weather.

Hi StarMan.
You might already have this page in favs,
but in case you don't and/or others are interested
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html
shows the current extent and position of the
auroral oval in the northern hemisphere.
Keep checking it to see how far south the
aurora might be visible.

Sanjaya wrote:

"starman" wrote...
I'm hoping for a major aurora. I haven't seen one in many years, usually
because of cloudy weather.

Hi StarMan.
You might already have this page in favs,
but in case you don't and/or others are interested
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/pmapN.html
shows the current extent and position of the
auroral oval in the northern hemisphere.
Keep checking it to see how far south the
aurora might be visible.

I just did. It's not far enough south to produce a good aurora for my
area.


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