NOAA SPACE WEATHER OPERATIONS PREDICTS SOLAR STORM FOR EARLY FRIDAY

May 29, 2003 — A complex sunspot region near the center of the sun produced three major flares in the last 48 hours. A strong solar wind was observed in response to the first two events. The three Coronal Mass Ejections associated with the flares ejected billions of tons of plasma and charged particles into space. The third coronal mass ejection, which is heading towards Earth at a speed of 3 million miles per hour, is expected to impact the Earth’s magnetic field sometime between 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. EDT on May 30, 2003, according to the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo. The storm is expected to reach strong to severe levels (G-3 to G-4) on the NOAA Space Weather Scales, which can adversely affect satellite operations and power grids. (Click NOAA image for larger view of solar activity captured by the NOAA Solar X-ray Imager on May 29, 2003, at 5:21 p.m. EDT. Please credit “NOAA.” Click here for latest images of the sun.)

A solar radiation storm is also in progress (S-2) in association with the flare activity, and all flares reached R-3 on the NOAA radio blackout scale.

In addition, there is a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis in the mid-latitudes after midnight on May 30.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources. NOAA is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Relevant Web Sites
NOAA Space Environment Center — Click "Space Weather Now" for the lastest updates.

The World’s First Operational Solar Imager Goes on Line as NOAA Activates New Satellite above East Coast, Atlantic Ocean

NOAA Solar X-ray Imager

NOAA Solar X-Ray Imager — Images

NOAA Satellite and Information

Media Contact:
Barbara McGehan, NOAA Research, (303) 497-6288 or NOAA Space Weather Operations at (303) 497-3171 (after 7 p.m. EDT)