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Originally Posted by KeepItSimple
Just a heads up to a potential aurora borealis tonight, tomorrow and/or Thursday thanks to a couple billion tons of plasma headed this way from our good friend the sun.
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There could also be some temporary interuptions to satellite service which could affect your satellite tv reception. Depending on its final strength on arrival these flares can also temporarily interrupt most means of electronic communications, especially two way radio traffic in various bands.
And an extreme flare can also induce current into the electrical grid and cause localized or widespread power outages, although this flare is predicted to be too mild for that.
We have been in a lull with the sun for over a decade now. Solar activity usually cycles about every 11 years, and we are past that in the lull mode, with signs that the sun is starting to wake up from its slumber.
Any CBers out there? When we are in an inactive stage, range is limited locally. But when the sun becomes active we enter the realm that 4 watts can reach easily half way around the world, better known as "shooting skip". We appear to be heading back to such a cycle.
Finally, for you weather buffs an increase in solar energy output is believed to have a definite impact on weather patterns. Some believe the quiet solar activity we have experienced the last decade had more effect on the atmosphere than so called global warming!
Anyways, a busy sun can mean exciting things down here on earth, with the northern lights making a much more southerly appearance on of the more brilliant aspects of this particular flare!