Geomagnetic storms are expected to continue for the next few days, raising the chances of disruptions to radio transmissions and other communications.
Flares and other solar activity spiked last week and continued through Monday night with four big M-class eruptions reported in one region of the Sun's surface.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted Tuesday that solar activity would continue until around Sept. 15 with geomagnetic storms reaching G2 level, solar radiation storms at S1, and radio blackouts reaching R2 over the next 24 hours.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
Related stories:
Phoenix Weathers Dust Storm
(PhysOrg.com) -- The Phoenix Lander over the weekend successfully weathered a regional dust storm that temporarily lowered its solar power, and the team is back investigating the Red Planet's northern plains.
Sunspot is harbinger of new solar cycle, increasing risk for electrical systems
A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for power grids, critical military, civilian and airline communications, GPS signals and even cell phones and ATM transactions, showed signs it was on its way late Thursday when the cycle’s first sunspot appeared in the sun’s Northern Hemisphere, NOAA scientists said.
Arizona State scientists keep an eye on Martian dust storm
Scientists at Arizona State University's Mars Space Flight Center are using the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter to monitor a large dust storm on the Red Planet. The instrument, a multi-wavelength camera sensitive to five visible wavelengths and 10 infrared ones, is providing Mars scientists and spacecraft controllers with global maps that track how much atmospheric dust is obscuring the planet.
NASA releases first 3-D images of the sun from STEREO
NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft have made the first three-dimensional images of the sun. The new view will greatly aid scientists' ability to understand solar physics and thereby improve space weather forecasting.
Scientists to track impact of Asian dust and pollution on clouds, weather, climate change
Scientists using the nation's newest and most capable aircraft for environmental research are launching a far-reaching field project this month to study plumes of airborne dust and pollutants that originate in Asia and journey to North America. The plumes are among the largest such events on Earth, so great in scope that scientists believe they might affect clouds and weather across thousands of miles while playing a role in global climate.
Mars project to simulate radiation exposure
Monitoring radiation from solar flares to ensuring that fellow crew members on the surface receive ample warning is only one of the tasks for Irene Schneider Puente, graduate student in geosciences at Penn State, as a member of the Crew 61, a two-week simulation of Martian exploration.
Mysterious Lunar Swirls
Picture this: A cup of coffee, steaming and black. Add a dollop of milk and gently stir. Eddies of cream go swirling around the cup. Magnify that image a million times and you've got a Lunar Swirl.
Europe’s newest Meteosat launches on Solstice Night
The second member of Europe’s new generation of weather satellites has successfully been lifted onto orbit, continuing an uninterrupted series of launch successes since 1977.