[South Florida DX Association] Space-Weather-Bulletin

[Bill Marx]

 Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Environment Center
> Boulder, Colorado, USA
> 
> SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #05- 3
> 2005 January 20 at 11:20 a.m. MST (2005 January 20 1820 UTC)
> 
> **** STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND RADIATION STORM ****
> 
> Active solar Region 720 produced a powerful X7 flare (R3 radio blackout)
> today at 0701 UTC (00:01 A.M. MST). This is the largest of seven major
> flares observed in this large and complex sunspot cluster since it
> emerged as a major flare producer on 15 January.
> 
> A strong (S3) radiation storm began soon after this flare. Radiation
> storms on the NOAA scale are based on proton measurements at >10 MeV.
> However, this radiation storm is particularly interesting because of
> the influx of high energy protons (>100 MeV). In fact, this radiation
> storm, based on the >100 MeV protons, is the strongest since October
> 1989. A rare, strong ground-level event (GLE) was also observed. GLEs
> are increases in the ground-level neutrons detected by neutron monitors
> and are generally associated with very high energy protons (>500 MeV).
> Elevated neutrons at ground level means there are high fluxes of
> energetic protons near Earth. High energy radiation storms can be
> particularly hazardous to spacecraft, and to communication, navigation,
> and aviation operations at high latitudes.  
> 
> Active Region 720 is now located near the northwest limb of the Sun;
> consequently, most of the ejecta from today's coronal mass ejection
> will not impact the geomagnetic field. However G1 conditions are still
> possible on 22 and 23 January.
> 
> Further major flare activity is possible from Region 720 before it
> rotates to the far side of the Sun on 22 - 23 January.
> 
> Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA, 
> USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services 
> and other observatories, universities, and institutions. For more 
> information, including email services, see SEC's Space Weather 
> Advisories Web site http://sec.noaa.gov/advisories or (303) 497-5127.
>