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SUN SPEWS SPECTACULAR SOLAR STORM
Nov.
4, 2003 — The NOAA Space Environment
Center in Boulder, Colo., reports that an intense explosion occurred
on the sun Tuesday at 2:29 p.m. EST. The violent eruption saturated X-ray
detectors on NOAA’s GOES satellite, which monitors the sun and
produces a new image every minute. NOAA space weather forecasters are
still analyzing the event to see if this solar explosion will trigger
another bout of radiation and geomagnetic storms. (Click NOAA
satellite image for larger view of sun taken on Nov. 4, 2003, at 3:14
p.m. EST. Click here
to view latest solar images. Please credit “NOAA.”)
The explosion
occurred in NOAA Region 486, an area that was about to rotate out of view
of the Earth. This storm may only deal a glancing blow at the Earth given
the position of the solar eruption. This region of the sun will be squarely
aimed at Earth once again during Thanksgiving week.
(Click here to
view mpeg animation of the sun with the latest solar eruption. The images
begin Nov. 3 at 4:06 p.m. EST and end on Nov. 4 at 4:02 p.m. EST. Please
note that this is a large file. Please credit "NOAA.")
NOAA scientists are amazed at the amount of solar activity during the last two weeks. During this cycle of the sun, almost four years past solar maximum, explosions of this magnitude are a rarity.
NOAA forecaster
Bill Murtagh said that a radio blackout is in progress. “This is
an R-5 extreme event. They don’t get much bigger than this.”
An R-5 event is at the top of the NOAA
space weather scales, which run 1 to 5.
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
NOAA Solar X-ray Imager — Latest Views of the Sun
Media
Contact:
Barbara
McGehan, NOAA Space Environment Center,
(303) 497-6288