[PPRAANet] Solar Storm

[Jim Madsen]

It hit at 15:00 Z today.  And it is getting stronger.  Estimated 
Planetary K-Index (K sub p) = 8.33 -- that's a G4 class storm (G5 is the 
highest).  And the B sub z component of the interplanetary field is 
south at -39.67 nT.  The only time I've seen it stronger was during the 
solar storm in 2003 (I think), when the B sub z was pegged at -60.  The 
sky was red with aurora back then (didn't have a rig, so couldn't try 
auroral propagation).  I just turned on my rig, and 10 meters still 
sounds pretty normal -- didn't hear anything on 6.

Jim K3ILC

On 10/10/2024 2:25 PM, Douglas Nielsen via PPRAANet wrote:
> Severe solar storm could stress power grids even more as US deals with major back-to-back hurricanes
> (ASSOCIATED PRESS | OCT 09, 2024) By MARCIA DUNN
>
> A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals
> with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday.
> The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch
> for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a
> storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals.
> NOAA has notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also
> alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the
> organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane
> Milton barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.
> Forecasters do not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May,
> the strongest in more than two decades. But they won’t know for sure until it’s just 1 million
> miles (1.6 million kilometers) away, where spacecraft can measure it.
> Florida is far enough south to avoid any power disruptions from the solar surge unless it gets a lot
> bigger, said scientist Rob Steenburgh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
> “That adds a little bit more to the comfort level,” Steenburgh said. “Why we’re here is to let them
> know so that they can prepare.”
> Experts are more concerned about potential effects to the power grids in areas slammed by
> Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl.
> The storm also may trigger northern lights as far south in the U.S. as the lower Midwest and
> Northern California, though exact locations and times are uncertain, according to NOAA.
> Skygazers are reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can
> capture auroras that human eyes cannot.
> May’s solar storm produced dazzling auroras across the Northern Hemisphere and resulted in no
> major disruptions.
> The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking all the recent solar activity.
>
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