JHV movie created 2012 10 25 19 37 12

New solar flare system gives advance warning

Researchers may have discovered a new method to predict solar flares more than a day before they occur, providing advance warning to help protect satellites, power grids and astronauts from potentially dangerous radiation.

The system works by measuring differences in gamma radiation emitted when atoms in radioactive elements “decay,” or lose energy. This rate of decay is widely believed to be constant, but recent findings challenge that long-accepted rule.

The new detection technique is based on a hypothesis that radioactive decay rates are influenced by solar activity, possibly streams of subatomic particles called solar neutrinos. This influence can wax and wane due to seasonal changes in the Earth’s distance from the sun and also during solar flares, according to the hypothesis, which is supported with data published in a dozen research papers since it was proposed in 2006, said Ephraim Fischbach, a Purdue University professor of physics.

Read more: http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2012/08/new-solar-flare-system-gives-advance-warning/

Sun Storm VIDEO: Magical-Looking Solar Eruption, Sunspots Captured By NASA

The sun fired off a spectacular eruption last weekend, and a NASA spacecraft captured amazing video of the violent solar outburst.

A super-hot solar filament erupted in grand style Saturday (Aug. 4), arcing into space and connecting two huge sunspots. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft had a front-row seat for the action, and its video footage of the sun eruption  is both bizarre and beautiful.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/10/sun-storm-video-nasa_n_1764108.html

Solar Watch

Scientists warn massive solar flare could harm power grid and satellites

A group of scientists have put the world on alert that a massive solar flare could happen within the next two years that could harm power grids, communications, and satellites around the world. The scientists say that the risk of a massive flare that could harm systems on the earth increase as the sun reaches the peak of its 10-year activity cycle. The scientists say “governments are taking it very seriously.”

Read more: http://www.slashgear.com/scientists-warn-massive-solar-flare-could-harm-power-grid-and-satellites-06241821/

Huge sunspot fires off intense solar flare (video)

(SPACE.com) A gigantic sunspot unleashed an intense solar flare early Thursday (July 19), though the solar storm shouldn't pose any serious problems to us here on Earth, scientists say.

The flare erupted from a sunspot known as AR 1520 at 1:13 a.m. EDT (0513 GMT) Thursday and peaked about 45 minutes later. The outburst qualifies as an M7.7-class solar flare, meaning it's a bit weaker than the sun's most powerful blast, X-class flares.

Source: CBS News

Read more and view video: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57476969/huge-sunspot-fires-off-intense-solar-flare-video/

X-Class Solar Flare, Strongest Kind, Erupts From Giant Sunspot 'AR1520'

The sun unleashed a huge flare Thursday (July 12), the second major solar storm to erupt from our star in less than a week.

The solar flare peaked at 12:52 p.m. EDT (1652 GMT) as an X-class sun storm, the most powerful type of flare the suncan have.

"It erupted from Active Region 1520, which rotated into view on July 6," NASA officials said in an alert. Active Region 1520, or AR1520, is a giant sunspot currently facing Earth.  

Source: Huffington Post

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/x-class-solar-flare-sunspot_n_1670668.html

Solar storm incoming: Federal agencies provide inconsistent, confusing information

A wave of plasma stoked by an X-class solar flare, the most intense type, is headed towards Earth. This blast of charged particles, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), is forecast to ignite a geomagnetic storm on Earth over the weekend. NOAA predicts it will be minor, maybe moderate. NASA says it will be moderate to severe.

Source: The Washington Post

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/solar-storm-incoming-federal-agencies-provide-inconsistent-confusing-information/2012/07/13/gJQAkm06hW_blog.html

3-day GOES X-ray Flux Monitor

"The GOES X-ray Flux plot contains 5 minute averages of solar X-ray output in the 1-8 Angstrom (0.1-0.8 nm) and 0.5-4.0 Angstrom (0.05-0.4 nm) passbands. Data from the SWPC Primary GOES X-ray satellite is shown. As of Feb 2008, no Secondary GOES X-ray satellite data is available. Some data dropouts will occur during satellite eclipses."

Source: NOAA / Space Weather Prediction Center
Read more: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_5m.html