X-FLARE

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X-FLARE: A powerful X-class solar flare
erupted near sunspot group 9393 on March
29th at 1015 UT. The blast sent a coronal
mass ejection (CME) toward Earth -- the
second in as many days. The first of the
two incoming CMEs will likely hit Earth's
magnetosphere on Friday; today's expanding
cloud will probably arrive on Saturday.

Space Weather

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), March 29, 2001

Answers

Vast magnetic storm is headed our way

Satellites orbiting Earth will be the first
things affected. Some are likely to shut off,
as they would in response to the surge. That
could disrupt communications, including
network television broadcasts that involve
satellites.

Next to be hit will be transformers and power
lines. They, too, will respond as if to a power
surge, and may shut down. That happened in
Quebec in 1989 during a powerful magnetic storm.

Weather permitting, a show of aurora borealis
may be visible in Northern Tier states including
Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Pioneer Planet

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), March 30, 2001.


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