Unusual market activity ahead ?
Huge solar flare could affect satellites - NOAA
WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - A massive solar flare that burst off the Sun is likely to
spawn a geomagnetic storm that could affect satellites, the U.S. National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday.
The flare, detected as it occurred at about 1:58 a.m. EST (0658 GMT) on Tuesday, was
rated as a class X, the highest intensity classification, the NOAA said in a statement.
Forecasters at the government's Space Environment Center predict that activity in
Earth's magnetic field will increase over the next few days, with the geomagnetic storm
reaching its greatest intensity on Friday.
The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, are likely to put on a show this week at northern
latitudes in the United States, the forecasters said.
However, power systems will probably experience only isolated effects, while satellites
may experience surface charging, which can result in arcing between parts of the
satellite.
Very large geomagnetic storms can cause communications problems with satellites
and interfere with high frequency radio communications. U.S. and European spacecraft
will detect any such storms about one hour before they reach Earth's magnetic field.
Forecasters said this flare, which is many times the size of Earth, ushers in a new cycle
of solar flare activity which is likely to increase over the next two to six years. |
