Solar Storm to Produce Major Impact on Earth

Solar sunspots August 04, 2011

A solar storm on the sun has unleashed several Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) toward earth in the last few days.

Two CME’s were launched toward Earth on Aug 2 and 3rd according to an article in today’s  http://www.spaceweather.com/ with a third even larger solar flare launched today, August 4th

“The impact on Earth is likely to be major” according to the report.  “Major impact” is a relative term.  Our normal solar sunspot-flare activity can produce an aurora borealis or northern lights as its common known.

A truly major impact would rival the event of 1859 when earth was hit by a solar superstorm known as the “Carrington Event“.   At that time, the Earth’s protective magnetic field was bent back by two CME’s immediately followed by one very large CME.

The CME impact induced magnetic impulses into then existing telegraph lines.  Telegraph lines burned out, paper caught fire at telegraph office equipment and telegraphs continued to operate even after their batteries were disconnected.

Scientist and government officials gathered in Washington, DC at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum 2011 on June 21, 2011 to discuss preparations for the next major solar maximum.

Analysts at the GSFC Space Weather Lab say the combined cloud should reach Earth on August 5th at 13:55 UT plus or minus 7 hours.