Solar Storms on the Uptick

As the sun awakens from a very sleepy period with virtually no solar activity, solar storms are on the rise. The eleven-year solar cycle is expected to reach its maximum level of activity in about 2013 and until things cool down the sun will continue to eject plasma bursts that have the potential to disrupt communications and global positioning satellites here on Earth.

Three giant solar flares shot toward Earth in the last week and while two have passed with little impact to our vital communications a third moderate flare could pose disruptions by week’s end. Yet another reason to unplug in August.

NASA classified this flare as an X 6.9. X is the strongest category on the scale after B, C and M. Within each class the flares are rated on a scale of 1-9.

Sometimes the solar storms can shower Earth with enough energy to reach the ground. In 1989 power was knocked out briefly in Quebec, Canada thanks to a solar storm.

But the biggest storm, knows as the Carrington Event, occurred in 1859 when electricity was novel and telegraphs were the primary means of communications. Reports at the time from telegraph offices said telegraphs continued to work even after their batteries were unplugged and some offices even reported fires.

The solar storm brewing this week is not that severe but NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center called big solar flare a strong event, meaning precautions should be taken but it’s nothing to burn up the airwaves worrying about. In fact the flare erupted on the side of the sun facing away from Earth. So though it was the biggest flare since 2006 the center doesn’t forecast any significant geomagnetic storm activity.

Shortly after Tuesday’s solar burst, short-wave radios experienced some limited disruption in parts of Asia but that’s about it.

If anything, scientists have an unprecedented opportunity to see these flares close up thanks to the orbiting STEREO probes, two NASA spacecraft that are orbiting the sun, one in front of Earth’s orbit and the other behind. Together those of us on Earth get a unique 3-D view of the sun and scientists can study coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which often coincide with solar flares.