back to article Solar storm has a 'sting in its tail', warn space weathermen

Thus far the ongoing solar storm which has blanketed Earth for the last 24 hours has been something of a damp squib, with no widespread problems reported. However space weathermen are warning of another "coronal mass ejection" particle squall inbound to our planet having been belched out by the Sun in the early hours of this …

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  1. Lloyd
    Thumb Down

    No, no, no, no

    Look, hold on until Sunday, I'm flying to Oz over the next 24 hours and the last thing I need is an EMP knocking out flight instrumentation.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No, no, no, no

      It's a good job you'll be in a Faraday cage then, isn't it?

      1. Bernard M. Orwell
        Boffin

        Re: No, no, no, no

        A faraday cage won't neccesarily protect you from magnetic effects, and only in a limited way from other atmospheric or electrical effects. Furthermore, the thin shell of an aircraft doesn't really work very well as a faraday cage at all, it's primary defence against say, lightning, comes from the fact that the plane isn't grounded. A faraday cage, in essence, is a layered mesh that distributes electrical energy harmlessly around it whilst protecting what is inside. In order for a faraday cage to be properly effective against electromagnetic radiation, it must be made of several layers of fine mesh and also be grounded.

        As your plane has neither of these features....well....

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

    2. Tom 13

      Re: No, no, no, no

      You're more likely to be knocked out of the sky by hot hail.

      ...

      Cue Queen music.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: No, no, no, no

      put fear in the hearts of the population to control them.

  2. g e
    Facepalm

    "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

    If it gets colder the Warmists won't like that...

    Imagine virtually conclusive proof that the gimungous nuclear reactor at the centre of our solar system could affect the temperature of our planet...

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

      Yes, the sun has a varying output. Yes, it can affect the long-term climate. No, it isn't a larger effect than that caused by global warming. No amount of denying pesky facts, or labelling those that have the audacity to point them out will make them go away.

      1. Armando 123
        Devil

        Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

        "No, it isn't a larger effect than that caused by global warming."

        Uh huh. So the effect of the sun's variability is less than we pathetic primates'? Seriously, do the math.

        Besides, we all know warming is inversely proportional to pirate activity.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

          @Armando 123 - Go and look up the Greenhouse Effect.

          1. Armando 123

            Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

            Go and study radiative transfer theory and post under your own name.

            Seriously, I studied radiative transfer theory for my master's thesis. This was before the politicization of studying the climate. Solar activity was the best indicator of climate change. Increase the activity in the sun, the earth warms. Drop the activity and earth cools.

            This is true in recorded human history and in the geological record.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Now, now Armando! What have I told you about quoting real science to warmongers?

              You keep piquing the cardinals of AGW and you're going to wind up in a cell next to Galileo!

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

              Armando 123 - if that is your real name - you're telling me that you're not a climate scientist, but you expect be to listen to you? I'd prefer to listen to the actual climate scientists I actually know, who say that you're wrong, not totally, but enough. There are lots of variables you seem to have discounted which are far more important.

            3. Chris 3
              Boffin

              Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

              Is this masters thesis published anywhere on the net where we could take a look?

            4. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

              How exactly would the 11 or 22 year solar cycle of activity leave its mark in the historical record of climate change?

              Your are equating short-term changes in solar activity with long-term changes in solar output. Nope.

      2. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
        Alien

        Re: "the Sun may be headed into a lengthy quiet period"

        And thus the flaring begin so as to separate the true believers from the climate warming skeptics....

  3. Roger Greenwood

    "Region 1429"

    Where's that then? Is there a sign? Or maybe a Satnav?

    1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

      Re: "Region 1429"

      Active regions on the sun (groups of sun spots) are numbered. This one happens to be 1429.

  4. This post has been deleted by its author

  5. resoldab

    Honest it's gonna be really bad this time!

    Of course it does Space Weather men, there there someday you will make a difference and people will listen to you honest!

    Have a nice cup of tea and contemplate more end of the world scenarios.

  6. David 39
    Thumb Up

    Shit happening

    In space is cool

  7. Nigel Brown
    Joke

    @Roger Greenwood

    It's just off the Basingstoke roundabout, hop in, I can take you that far..........

  8. Andrew Jones 2
    Thumb Up

    Have just watched the BBC Horizon Docu all about the Solar Storms.

    It's pretty interesting actually - get it on iPlayer if you are in the UK.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01d99vb/Horizon_20112012_Solar_Storms_The_Threat_to_Planet_Earth/

  9. Blitheringeejit
    Joke

    Properly researched journalism

    The heading says this article was "posted in Space" - does this mean that Lewis popped up to the ISS to check his space weather facts before submitting?

  10. Trinity93
    Mushroom

    had a transform blow down the street this morning

    not sure if its related to the storm but we had a transformer blow up 2 blocks away and our power was out most of the day

    1. Jimbo 6
      Terminator

      Re: Transformers blowing up

      Wow, I thought they only existed in the movies ! Does Megan Fox live near you, cos if so I'm moving there

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: had a transform blow down the street this morning

      We had something similar in our building this morning, lights and PCs went out for a second or so, presumably emergency power kicked in. I should ask...

  11. Purlieu

    Re: Transformers blowing up

    Did you hide under a satellite dish to prevent your Globotech X-1000 chip from frying ?

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Space weather conspiracy

    It's just so people can have more days off work, like when it snows. "Honestly, boss, I couldn't get in because of all the protons on my drive..., etc."

  13. Paratrooping Parrot
    Mushroom

    There was a red alert this morning at 06:45am from Aurorawatch who are based in Lancashire and have instruments in Scotland.

    https://twitter.com/#!/aurorawatchuk/statuses/178008505486295041

  14. Phil O'Sophical Silver badge
    WTF?

    > When Region 1429 was *pointed directly at Earth*, it unleashed an R2 (Moderate) solar flare ... an associated coronal mass ejection now beginning its journey towards Earth.

    But Surely Earth won't be there when it arrives? You need to fire in front of a moving target to hit it...

    1. Asiren
      Boffin

      Isn't this like a shotgun?

      It's a bit like firing a shotgut at a moving pidgeon. If the shot scatters enough, you don't really need to lead the target...

      1. Tom 13
        Thumb Down

        @Asiren

        Posted with all the authority of someone who has never fired a shotgun at a moving target.

  15. taxman
    Pint

    Weather Forecasting

    The one job where people expect you to be wrong - after so many times of it being wrong. If I had my time again, the ideal job.

    "You got it wrong again!"

    "And?"

    "Nothing"

    1. Jimbo 6

      Re: ideal job

      *and* you get to go to parties with the weather girls.

      (Not to be confused with The Weather Girls. Though I'm sure they know how to party big-style.)

  16. NX1977

    Had gps issues

    Yesterday (8th) between about 9.30 and 11 had issues getting and keeping a GPs signal.

    Can't recall the last time I had issues.

  17. Anonymous John

    Damp squib?

    According to the Daily Mail, the Northern Lights were seen in Australia. Now "corrected" to "The aurora borealis lights up the sky over Australia".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Damp squib?

      So they corrected it with a mistake?

      Surely it's Aurora Australialis they can see?

  18. The Grump
    Big Brother

    If everyone had listened to Al Gore...

    this wouldn't be happening. man-made global warming gases have reached the Sun, resulting in a devastating chain-reaction. If allowed to continue, the Sun could expand, or blow off it's outer surface - either of which could end all life on Earth.

    We have to correct this NOW, to have any hope of survival. We must melt down all internal combustion engines, put strict government controls on energy usage, begin mandatory total waste stream recycling, move all people in outlying areas to the cities where mass transit is available, and have government control the production of all goods and services, so production of unnecessary goods / services can be stopped immediately. This is a good beginning, and our only hope of survival.

    Of course, those "sunspot cycle" quacks may be right, but do we dare take that chance ? If you all die, don't blame Al Gore. He warned you.

  19. Colin Wilson 2
    Alien

    The Big One?

    I hope these new solar flares don't mean the Sun's getting ready for the Big One...

    The one where the whole thing explodes into a vast solar flare and instantly vapourizes us. The one that's scheduled for December 31st

    1. Snowy Silver badge
      Alert

      Re: The Big One?

      21st you mean?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    going out on a limb here

    ok, so, based on Quantum Entanglement, some form of communication is embedded in the fabric of the universe. If that is true, could the sun be trying to communicate in some way? Are these storms and ejections the equivalent of it shouting into space? If so, what is it trying to say?

    Very anthropomorphic, I know .. but if energy is data, what is the data in all that energy?

    1. A. Coatsworth Silver badge
      Joke

      "what is the data in all that energy?"

      "F*ck your puny electronic devices, earthlings"

      At least, that's my guess

    2. Alistair
      Alien

      Re: going out on a limb here

      "Its Life Jim, but not as we know it"

      I think I'll wander out on that branch with ya -- hopefully it doesn't break.

      *grin*

      Its friday, I could do with something other than tea in this cup, and I'm sick and tired of the "Be Afraid, Be VERY afraid" crap that is being tossed down our throats daily by various media.

  21. John A Blackley

    Question

    I stopped reading The Sun a long time ago. What's it getting up to now?

  22. koolholio
    WTF?

    NOAA vs SOHO data

    For those that are geeky, like most IT folk, I prefer to follow more geeky sources .e.g. LASCO's SOHO halo alerts, as I'm sure most would!

    You appear to prefer the NOAA source (usually speciallising in monitoring from the ground/sea/atmosphere etc.)

    The CMEs (the technical name for a solar flare) arrive around 7 days (speed permitting) after the halo event, provided they are headed in earths direction and contain alot more juicy detail for the geeky folk!

    http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/lasco/observations/halo/soho-halo-alerts/

    The SOHO spaceweather pages contain much more graphical info:

    http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/spaceweather/

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