Friday's Solar Flare Twice As Energetic As Monday's; Earth Safe

The Bad Astronomer writes "The sunspot cluster that erupted in a solar flare and coronal mass ejection last Monday burst into life again on Friday, blasting out an X2 class solar flare, twice as energetic as the last one. This one was on the Sun's limb and was pointed away from us, so we're in no danger; all we got was a very minor radiation storm that's on the lowest ranking of such things. But it did put on quite a light show, which you can see in a video created with images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory."

Re:

[HomelessInLaJolla]

We havenâ(TM)t seen much of an effect from this flare â" just a minor radiation storm thatâ(TM)s at the lowest end of the scale, nothing to worry about

Somebody you do not know talking to you about an event that is not your specialty. When do doctors, lawyers, bankers, physicians, counselors, and especially managers at work use the line "nothing to worry about"?

Re:

[LifesABeach]

Responding to an AC? Your intentions are good, but are casted like pearls.

But consider, it might be useful if the Pentagon increased its spending on forward bases like on Titan, Mars, and Pluto? Because every morning we wake up, is one morning the Sun hasn't flatulated on Earth; yet.

Re:

[laederkeps]

When do ... physicists... use the line "nothing to worry about"?

When it's, uuuuuh, probably not a problem. Probably.

Of course there was no danger

[maxwell demon]

Everyone knows that the truly dangerous solar flare will happen in December. :-)

Re:

[cultiv8]

I think you mean November 6?

Re:Sun's limb?

[rubycodez]

the word "limb" has alternative definitions than the usual use of "branch of tree" or "member of animal's body other than head or trunk". These alternatives come from Latin "limbus", meaning border. In astronomy, the definition is "The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body." There is a related definition in mathematics: "The edge of a graduated arc or circle used in an instrument to measure angles" --http://www.thefreedictionary.com/limb

Re:

[FrootLoops]

As a mathematician, I've never heard the graduated arc or circle definition. I would swap "mathematics" for "metrology".

Re:

[Thing 1]

As a mathematician, I've never heard the graduated arc or circle definition.

Well, hey, now you have. As have I. Rejoice, don't defecate.

Re:

[Dantoo]

When using a sextant you take 2 sights at sunrise (and sunset). These are known as first limb and second limb. Been like this for centuries I'm told. I'm sure you can infer when these are taken.

Re:

[rubycodez]

sorry, but "mathematics" includes use of things like protractors, which have a limb. funny you think you have encycopedic knowledge of your field.

Re:

[FrootLoops]

I don't quite know why you think mathematics includes "things like protractors," or why you think I think I have an encyclopedic knowledge of my field. I only meant to imply that if I haven't heard the phrase even though I've worked with protractors and am a mathematician, it's probably uncommon amongst mathematicians, so it probably doesn't belong to mathematics. This is merely suggestive, not conclusive. I never pretended otherwise.

I glanced through some online definitions. Most are along the lines of, "T

Re:

[rubycodez]

The study of mathematics indeed includes protractors, as most schoolchildren have found. Sorry about your ignorance.

Re:Why?

[Anonymous Coward]

We do. in addition to SDO, in inclined geosync orbit, we have two spacecraft in heliocentric orbits somewhat ahead of and somewhat behind the Earth. They're called STEREO.

http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/where.shtml [nasa.gov]

- Morty [Posting AC because I've spent mod points.]

Re:

[oneiros27]

And NASA and ESA are working on two more, but my understanding is that they won't be as coordinated like STEREO (they'll be rotating around the sun faster, so they won't necessarily get the 100% coverage that we currently get with STEREO):

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/sunearthsystem/main/solarprobeplus.html [nasa.gov]

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=45 [esa.int]

(disclaimer: I work for the STEREO Science Center)

Earth gets hit with X2 all the time

[rubycodez]

Sometimes there is satellite damage from X2 flare, though the things are supposed to be designed to withstand them. More likely effects are communication disruptions. Last year, February 2011, Earth was hit with X2. We mostly survived 8D

Re:

[Trepidity]

Any idea how frequent? I know they aren't unprecedented, but I'm having trouble finding any numbers. Does an X-class flare happen a few times a year? A few times a decade?

Re:Earth gets hit with X2 all the time

[kc0dby]

Wikipedia has a nice, but tiny list of major recent flares, that will give you an idea. It looks like on a decade scale, X2 is pretty minor. Apparently they estimate the largest observed flare to be an X45.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare [wikipedia.org]

Section 4.5 is what your looking for.

Re:

[LifesABeach]

It's probably simple chemistry/physics, but with the increased energy from the sun, would that cause an increased elevation of pollutants floating around? The result being an increased height, and less dense pollution?

Solar maximum

[Cochonou]

We are not even yet at the predicted maximum of the solar cycle [noaa.gov]. Such coronal mass ejections will probably get more and more frequent until we get to the solar maximum. Now do not get me wrong, I like solar flares as much as anybody here, but we shouldn't really report bursts that miss Earth... or else, we are going to hear about them very often in the near future !

Re:

[LifesABeach]

Which would YOU rather read about, Solar Flares going nowhere, or the results of another Republican Debate?

Re:

[quacking duck]

Good question! Both are definitely inconsequential in the short term...

"Earth Safe"

[Anonymous Coward]

"Earth Safe"? Thanks, I was really worried. Now I can concentrate on the Greek Crisis.

No worries...

[lazycam]

Most of us slashdot readers are hidden safely away in our parent's basements.

MOM! I NEED MORE CODE RED AND PIZZA BAGEL BITES!

Another will hit us, probably soonish

[Mal-2]

As a n00b to ham radio, and only a Technician Class (don't even have my callsign yet, just tested today), I look forward to doing some DXing [wikipedia.org] in the 6 meter band. The preferred band for international DX is usually 20 meters, but solar storms that actually hit us tend to push the maximum usable frequency [wikipedia.org] for skywave propagation upward in frequency (downward in wavelength). I've been hearing of people making 2000 mile contacts at 6 meters with 5 watts in the conditions from the last flare. Since I'm not licensed for the HF bands (I may soon go for the upgrade to General Class but I still won't have any HF gear), but DO currently have the ability to operate in the 6 meter band, I will have to wait for the right moment to try to reach out and QSL [wikipedia.org] someone.

Re:

[__aajfby9338]

Congratulations on getting your ham ticket!

Re:

[Sir Lurkalot]

Congratulations!

Ken

KD8DWO

The MSL and other missions?

[Squidlips]

Will this effect robotic missions currently flying such as Dawn and MSL and other missions?