Solar Storm Reaches Earth; More Activity Expected

NOAA

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

Oct. 24, 2003

SOLAR STORM REACHES EARTH; MORE ACTIVITY EXPECTED

The geomagnetic storm predicted by the NOAA Space Environment Center hit the
Earth's magnetic field at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Friday. It is currently at the
strong G-3 level on the NOAA space weather scales -- the highest being a G5. The
solar particles and energy produced as a result of this storm can produce
effects for many hours, so there is a possibility of seeing the aurora borealis
or northern lights in the northern latitudes Friday night.

Two very large sun spot regions continue to maintain their size and magnetic
intensity. There have been three major flares in the last 24 hours, which caused
considerable disruption of high frequency communication. More large flares are
expected in the next few days.

"So far this storm is materializing as expected," said NOAA space weather
forecaster Bill Murtagh. NOAA forecasters predicted the onset of the magnetic
storm to occur midday Friday. The magnitude the of G-3 level storm is also in
line with NOAA predictions.

NOAA thus far has not received any reports of the storm's effects.

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/
* Latest SOHO images
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...me-images.html

IMAGE CAPTION:
[http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories...403-1424z2.jpg
(171KB)]
Image from the SOHO spacecraft of the intense solar activity on the sun taken
Oct. 24, 2003, at 10:24 a.m. EDT. Credit: SOHO

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ESA News
http://www.esa.int

24 October 2003

Massive sunspot faces Earth

Our Sun has been remarkably active this week. Sunspot 484, which first appeared
last weekend, has grown into one of the biggest sunspots seen in years.

Now about the size of the planet Jupiter, it's easy to see. But never look
directly at the sun!

Sunspots are cooler regions of the Sun where magnetic energy builds up, often
prior to eruptions.

While being monitored by the ESA/NASA SOHO spacecraft, this particular sunspot
let loose a storm of energetic particles, known as a 'coronal mass ejection' on
Wednesday, 22 October 2003.

The expanding cloud is expected to arrive at Earth on Friday, 24 October, and
this activity could generate colourful aurorae, or Northern Lights, over the
northern USA and much of northern Europe.

Major eruptions known as ‘solar flares’ are also possible from these active
regions as they rotate across the face of the sun over the next two weeks.

Satellite and other spacecraft operations, power systems, radio communications
and navigation systems on Earth may experience disruptions.

More about ...

* SOHO overview
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120373_index_0_m.html

Related articles

* Safety tips for observing the Sun
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMB6P7O0MD_index_0.html
* How the Sun affects us on Earth
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEML7BS1VED_index_0.html
* Space weather
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMLC2T1VED_index_0.html
* What are solar flares?
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMHKP7O0MD_index_0.html

Related links

* ESA's SOHO home page
http://sohowww.estec.esa.nl/
* The Sun now
http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/ASE0...tecting_0.html

[NOTE: Images supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/export/esaSC/SEMI...D_index_1.html ]

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ESA Science News
http://sci.esa.int

24 Oct 2003

Keep track of solar activity

At 08:35 on 23 October a class X5 solar flare erupted from a sunspot on the
solar surface. This giant eruption has sent out a second coronal mass ejection
(CME) into space just hours after an earlier eruption. Both CMEs could interact
with the Earth and its local space environoment sometime in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The first eruption is associated a large sunspot group now visible near the
centre of the solar disk and is visible to naked eye. The second CME came from
an active region that is just coming around at the East limb and that SOHO/MDI
observed growing on the farside of the Sun last week.

One possible effect of such eruptions could be to disrupt satellite operations
or forcing a temporary shut-down of operations to protect against the onslaught.
Two spacecraft, however, will remain active -- SOHO and Cluster. SOHO and
Cluster are both monitoring the Sun and its effects on the near Earth space
environment. Data from these spacecraft can be accessed real time enabling you
to monitor changes and interactions at the same time as scientists around the world.

SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) is located between the Sun and the
Earth and will, therefore, detect activity before it reaches the Earth. The
spacecraft provides images, across a number of wavebands, x-ray flux
measurements, proton counting rates and measurements of the soalr wind. The data
can be accessed at the SOHO spaceweather website.

Cluster is an arrangement four spacecraft providing a detailed three-dimensional
map of the magnetosphere. Available data includes measurements of the magnetic
field, of the ion stream and of proton fluxes in the near Earth environment. The
data can be accessed at the Cluster Science Data System website.

For further information please contact:


RELATED LINKS

* SOHO Spaceweather
http://sohowww.estec.esa.nl/spaceweather/
* Live Cluster Data
http://www.cluster.rl.ac.uk/csdsweb/