| AURORA ALERT:
Did you sleep through the northern lights? Next time get a
wake-up call: Spaceweather
PHONE.
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SPACE WEATHER RADIO:
For a change of pace, why not listen to
today's space weather news? Geomagnetic storm forecasts, backyard
astronomy tips, and live sounds from space are a few of the things
you can hear on Space Weather
Radio.
SEVERE SPACE WEATHER:
The National Academy of Sciences has just
released the results of a
study entitled Severe Space Weather Events--Understanding
Societal and Economic Impacts. The 132-page document examines
what might happen to our high-tech modern society in the event of
a super
solar flare followed by an extreme geomagnetic storm. Such a
storm did occur in the year 1859. It electrified telegraph lines,
shocking technicians and setting telegraph papers on fire; Northern
Lights as far south as Cuba were so bright, you could read a newspaper
by their eerie glow. (continued below)
According to the report, "a contemporary repetition of that
event would cause significantly more extensive (and possibly catastrophic)
social and economic disruptions." The report warns of widespread
failures in telecommunications, electric power, banking and finance,
and transportation; even water supplies could be disrupted. The
total economic impact in the first year alone could reach $2 trillion--about
15 times greater than the costs of Hurricane Katrina. Depending
on damage, full recovery from the solar storm could take 4 to 6
years.
No one knows how often super solar storms occur. We've only seen
one like it in the past 200 years. The next one could be another
200 years away--or just 200 days. All the more reason to study space
weather!
AURORA WATCH:
"Happy New Year from Canada's Arctic," says Claus Vogel
of Baffin Island. "Last night the Northern Lights made their
first appearance of 2009. What a sight! The half moon cast its glow
on the freshly fallen snow while the lights danced overhead."
He recorded the scene using his Nikon
D700:
"The celestial show lasted over an hour," he says. "I'm
looking forward to more."
More could be in the offing. A solar wind stream is heading toward
Earth and it could spark geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle
when it arrives on Jan. 8th or 9th. High-latitude sky watchers should
be alert for auroras.
UPDATED:
Jan. 2009 Aurora
Gallery
[Previous Januaries: 2008,
2007, 2005,
2004, 2001]
Quadrantid
Meteor Gallery
[Listen to
the meteor radar]
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