Strongest solar storm since 2005 hitting Earth

By SETH BORENSTEIN | Associated Press – 3 hrs ago

• This colorized NASA image, taken Monday, Jan. 23, 2012, from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, …

WASHINGTON (AP) — The sun is bombarding Earth with radiation from the biggest solar storm in more than six years with more to come from the fast-moving eruption.

The solar flare occurred at about 11 p.m. EST Sunday and will hit Earth with three different effects at three different times. The biggest issue is radiation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado.

MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-01-23/solar-storm/52754706/1

Astronauts in Space Safe from Huge Solar Radiation Storm

SPACE.com Staff

Date: 23 January 2012 Time: 03:20 PM ET

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This SDO image (AIA 193) shows an M9-class solar flare erupting on the Sun's northeastern hemisphere at 03:49 UT on Jan. 23, 2012... just 4 days after a previous strong CME that sparked aurora around the world on the 22nd. More geomagnetic activity is expected for the 24th. CREDIT: NASA/SDO and the AIA Consortium/Edited by J. Major View full size image

An intense solar flare unleashed the biggest radiation storm in years today (Jan. 23), but astronauts aboard the International Space Station are not in any danger, NASA officials say.
The sun eruption triggered the most powerful radiation storm since 2005 in a wave of charged particles that is expected to hit our planet Tuesday (Jan. 24) at around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), according to experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center, which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

MORE: http://www.space.com/14322-solar-radiation-storm-space-astronauts.html








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