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Solar storms could put a jolt into earthly affairs
...and put on an atmospheric light show, too
November 6, 1997
Web posted at: 11:09 p.m. EST (0409 GMT)(CNN) -- Two solar storms are headed toward Earth, and when they arrive over the next few days the effects could be costly and inconvenient.
Scientists say that Tuesday's solar flare looked like a nuclear explosion. It occurred in the lower right quadrant of the sun, and was so bright it outshone the rest of the sun.
The flare was followed by a massive shockwave.
CNN's Rick Lockridge reports
1 min., 46 sec. VXtreme streaming video
"You could see it was winding up tighter and tighter," said Dr. Art Poland, "and it got so tight that it literally exploded, providing a large solar flare."
The flare threw off a huge cloud of magnetically charged particles, a cloud that is heading toward Earth.
Meanwhile, a second even larger flare 48 hours later blasted the orbiting Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) with charged particles that struck the spacecraft's instruments like snow on a windshield.
Although the second flare was angled away from Earth, its eruption so close on the heels of Tuesday's flare tells scientists the sun is awakening from a long, dormant phase.
Atmospheric light show possible
"The whole cycle lasts about eleven years," Poland said. "About two years ago, we were at minimum and so we're on the way to maximum. So we're starting to get more and more activity over the last few months, and we'll be getting more as the years go by."
Both flares are rated Class X, the highest possible rating.
Electrical storms produced by such flares can disrupt satellite and radio communications and, in rare cases, knock out power grids on the Earth.
"That current, for a power company, unbalances their power distribution system and causes a lot of the power they are generating to go into places they don't like," says Dr. Ernest Hildner. "It can even melt the transformer that is trying to contain the load."
Scientists say the twin flares should also trigger an intense atmospheric light show. The aurora borealis is normally best seen close to polar regions, but scientists say this time it may be visible much farther away.
Saturday or Sunday nights will be the best time for viewing and, if all goes well, only onlookers will get a charge out of it.
CNN's Rick Lockridge contributed to this report.
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