[kellyhound]

Radio, internet and GPS fluctuations are likely in some parts of the world on Friday as a massive solar storm is predicted to hit the Earth, US forecasters say.

The solar storm, or coronal mass ejection (CME), could interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field and is likely to impact various forms of communications as well as sparking vibrant auroras, space weather physicist Tamitha Skov said.

“The storm is predicted to hit Earth by midday December 1. If the magnetic field is oriented correctly, expect aurora to reach deep into mid-latitudes. Amateur radio and GPS reception issues are likely, especially on Earth’s nightside,” Dr Skov posted on X.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other forecasters had already predicted that three solar storms were heading towards the Earth with some of them likely to merge to produce stronger magnetic field disruptions.

“Along with two earlier storms already en route [this] means we have a 1,2,3-punch,” Dr Skov said earlier, adding that there are “excellent chances” of strong G3-level magnetic storms and auroras on Earth.

The intensity of solar storms are denoted by the letter G followed by a number ranging from 1 to 5, 1 being the most minor event and 5 being the most extreme. G3 storms are strong events that are likely to cause intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems.

Skywatchers took to social media to share their photos and videos of stunning aurora displays in the northern hemisphere.

“With 3 CMEs already inbound, the addition of a 4th, full halo CME has prompted SWPC forecasters to upgrade the G2 Watch on 01 Dec to a G3 Watch. This faster-moving halo CME is progged to merge with 2 of the 3 upstream CMEs, all arriving at Earth on 01 Dec,” the NOAA said.

“G3 (strong) conditions are now likely on 01 Dec,” it added.

Solar storms are powerful energy blasts coming from the Sun containing the fourth state of matter plasma and ionised matter.

They are produced from solar flare events, which are explosive events on the Sun coming from the release of magnetic energy linked with sunspots.

The incoming solar storm arose from a strong flare near “Region 3500” on the Sun, scientists say.

Solar storms are known to interfere with the Earth’s magnetic field and cause damages to electrical grids, knock out satellites and in some cases disrupt internet connectivity.

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/...-b2456583.html

[William May]

I noticed my tinfoil hat is vibrating far more than usual, and I am NOT receiving the typical commercials I get from the planet Lepton.



Other than that, everything else seems normal.

[chris]

I had a friend warn me about this, but nothing happened, Florida must have been out the path or something lol

[William May]

Originally Posted by chris ↗

I had a friend warn me about this, but nothing happened, Florida must have been out the path or something lol

Or maybe something DID happen, but because of the electrical waves, you are unable to perceive it.
But it is continuing to happen, while you are completely unaware of it occurring.

Or something.

[kellyhound]

However:

The sun sends out a constant flow of solar material called the solar wind, which creates a bubble around the planets called the heliosphere. The heliosphere acts as a shield that protects the planets from interstellar radiation.

But

Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere, trigger lightning, and penetrate commercial airplanes. According to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health, crews of aircraft have higher rates of cancer than the general population. The researchers listed cosmic rays, irregular sleep habits, and chemical contaminants as leading risk factors. A number of controversial studies go even further, linking cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

The new study found even higher rates with specific types of cancer. For example, aircrew were 87 percent more likely to suffer melanoma, 39 percent more likely to have thyroid cancer, and 16 percent more likely to contract prostate cancer.

Generated by the motion of molten iron in Earth's core, the magnetic field protects our planet from cosmic radiation and from the charged particles emitted by our Sun. It also provides the basis for navigation with a compass.

Also magnetic shifts can affect navigation systems used by ships, planes and cell-phones.

ESA’s Swarm satellite trio, detects changes in the strength of Earth's magnetic field.

Results from the constellation of Swarm satellites show where our protective field is weakening and strengthening, and importantly how fast these changes are taking place.

The animation above shows the strength of Earth's magnetic field and how it changed between 1999 and May 2016.

It shows clearly that the field has weakened by about 3.5% at high latitudes over North America, while it has strengthened about 2% over Asia. The region where the field is at its weakest – the South Atlantic Anomaly – has moved steadily westward and weakened further by about 2%.

In addition, the magnetic north pole is wandering east, towards Asia.

The second animation shows the rate of change in Earth’s magnetic field between 2000 and 2015. Regions where changes in the field slowed are shown in blue while red shows where changes speeded up.

[akham]

The ol' MUF took a battering (See the large black area in the image? That's a depressed MUF).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximum_usable_frequency