NOAA

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

Oct. 29, 2003

POWERFUL SOLAR STORM REACHES EARTH

Forecasters at the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., said that a
powerful geomagnetic storm emitted from the sun sped though space at 5 million
mph and reached Earth Wednesday 1:13 a.m. EST. NOAA space weather forecaster
Larry Combs said, "It took the geomagnetic storm just 19 hours to reach Earth
after it occurred on the sun. That's one of the fastest traveling solar storms
this cycle." The storm came in as a G-5 or extreme geomagnetic storm on the NOAA
space weather scales, which run 1 to 5. (Click here to view larger image from
the SOHO spacecraft of the intense solar activity on the sun taken Oct. 28,
2003, at 5:24 p.m. EDT. Click here to view high resolution version, which is a
large file. Click here to view latest images. Please credit "SOHO.")

The solar flare caused an S-4 radiation event, which is the fourth largest in
history since NOAA began keeping records in 1976. It's also the second largest
radiation event during this cycle of the sun.

Combs said, "The geomagnetic storm is expected affect the Earth for the next 12
to 24 hours, but NOAA is forecasting that further major eruptions in these
active regions of the sun will continue for the next week."

Reports received by NOAA indicate that power grids in the northern United States
and Canada are feeling the effects of the extreme geomagnetic storm. Utilities
are experiencing power surges and are closely monitoring their systems. NOAA
received a report that the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, were visible as
far south as El Paso, Texas.

"The NOAA Space Environment Center is home to the nation's early warning system
for solar activities that directly affect people and equipment", explained
retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for
oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. "Big solar storms like the current
one can create brilliant northern lights but can also threaten with increased
exposure to X-rays, damage and disrupt communications, energy delivery systems
and aviation operations. SEC's 24 hour-a-day, 7 day-a-week operations are
critical to protecting space and ground-based assets."

Through the NOAA Space Environment Center, NOAA and the U.S. Air Force jointly
operate the space weather operations center that continuously monitors, analyzes
and forecasts the environment between the sun and Earth. In addition to the data
gathered from NOAA and NASA satellites, the center receives real-time solar and
geophysical information from ground based-observatories around the world. The
NOAA space weather forecasters use the data to predict solar and geomagnetic
activity and issue worldwide alerts of extreme events.

The NOAA Space Environment Center plays a leadership role in the space weather
community and helps foster a space weather services industry.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the
prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing
environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. NOAA is
part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites

* NOAA Space Environment Center
http://sec.noaa.gov/
* NOAA Space Weather Scales
http://sec.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/
* NOAA Solar X-ray Imager -- Latest Views of the Sun
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/sxi/latest.html
* Latest SOHO images
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...me-images.html