The Sun Unleashes Coronal Mass Ejection At Earth 220
astroengine writes "Yesterday morning, at 08:55 UT, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory detected a C3-class flare erupt inside a sunspot cluster. 100,000 kilometers away, deep within the solar atmosphere (the corona), an extended magnetic field filled with cool plasma forming a dark ribbon across the face of the sun (a feature known as a 'filament') erupted at the exact same time. It seems very likely that both eruptions were connected after a powerful shock wave produced by the flare destabilized the filament, causing the eruption. A second solar observatory, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, then spotted a huge coronal mass ejection blast into space, straight in the direction of Earth. Solar physicists have calculated that this magnetic bubble filled with energetic particles should hit Earth on August 3, so look out for some intense aurorae — a solar storm is coming."
Astroporn (Score:5, Funny)
Sun Ejection?! (Score:2, Funny)
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:5, Funny)
actually, i kind of hope it is!
I'm sure this will work (Score:3, Funny)
If we can land on this coronal-flare and drill a hole into it. Carefully placing a nuke inside the hole, we can divert it so that both halves will miss the earth and everything will be OK.
Re:Astroporn (Score:5, Funny)
You're a jackass.
I just had to explain to my coworkers, including my female boss, why I laughed hard enough to snort iced tea all down my shirt. Trying to explain an astronomy joke to normals is one thing, but tying it into in a weird, totally NSFW Japanese fetish? She'll be glaring at me suspiciously all month.
Might as well get started on my resume....
Re:Sun Ejection?! (Score:4, Funny)
Are you trying to say:
"Here cums the sun?"
Solar flares (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Irony (Score:5, Funny)
No, Alanis, that would just suck.
Re:Irony (Score:3, Funny)
Something made out of iron?
Re:clarification requested. (Score:5, Funny)
sooo are you saying i should check out the sweet sunset that evening, or prepare for oblivion, or put on some sunscreen, or what? i beg your pardon, i'm just not sure what the proper reaction is when a huge coronal mass ejection blasts a magnetic bubble filled with energetic particles at me.
All organic life in the Northern Hemisphere is disintegrated at the subatomic level, Pacific Ocean boils away, Indian Ocean freezes solid, everybody in Uganda gets superpowers.
Re:Irony (Score:2, Funny)
Wouldn't it be ironic if this solar flare knocks SOHO out of commission?
Only if it were to blow up a bus carrying the Phoenix Suns, on a Sunday.
I KNEW IT!!! (Score:1, Funny)
You make a black man president and space tries to kill us.
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:5, Funny)
Not to be pedantic, but telegraph operators did drop dead during the Carrington Flare, if only because they were more or less attached to massive "antennas."
Moreover, the usual threat of solar storms is not radiation to people, but to the radio equipment that makes modern life possible. This one should only graze the
One should hope that bqt421 wasn't attached to massive "antennas" while posting this message.
Re:Terrific (Score:3, Funny)
Re:space station (Score:5, Funny)
If this were a typical science fiction movie, they would have an astronaut deflect it using a mirror made from a candy wrapper and a tongue depressor. When that, surprisingly, fails, the radiation will strike the Earth, waking Godzilla, who will then proceed to destroy Japan. Since I don't live in Japan, I say let him have his fun.
Re:Flights? (Score:5, Funny)
No.
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:5, Funny)
Heart stopped... death... comes swiftly... Must... hit... Submit!
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:clarification requested. (Score:3, Funny)
The moon will also be knocked out of it's orbit, sending the doomed crew of British and American astronauts living at Moonbase Alpha hurtling through space and time, only to suffer horrible deaths at the hands of television executives a scant 48 episodes later.
Re:Flights? (Score:1, Funny)
Even if the answer was 'probably', most of the people on a plane out of Houston would probably chance it..
Re:Astroporn (Score:5, Funny)
Wow (Score:3, Funny)
I expected a misstep or two with the takeover, but Oracle REALLY screwed up this time!
Re:This is not news...or news-worthy (Score:3, Funny)
Do not look directly into the sun with remaining eye.....
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:So should I unplug all my stuff or not? (Score:3, Funny)
I realise I'm not the sharpest spoon in the drawer, but I'm fairly certain waves do not become hurricanes ...
Weird dream I had this morning (Score:3, Funny)