How big was the spinning storm in 1989?
How big was the spinning storm in 1989?
On March 10, 1989, a CME about the size of 36 Earths erupted from the sun’s roiling surface and ripped through space at a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) per hour.
When was the last major solar storm?
At 4:51 p.m. EDT, on Monday, April 2, 2001, the sun unleashed the biggest solar flare ever recorded, as observed by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite. The flare was definitely more powerful than the famous solar flare on March 6, 1989, which was related to the disruption of power grids in Canada.
How did the great solar storm of 1989 affect Earth?
[See 25 Years Ago: Amazing Auroras from 1989’s Great Solar Storm (Gallery) .] Subatomic particles from such a large flare are shot out into space like a sharp stream from a garden hose. If that stream is directed toward Earth the particles from the sun clash with molecules and atoms of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Why was there a blackout on the Sun in 1989?
Artist rendition of the 1989 blackout. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), associated giant clouds of plasma in space, are the largest explosions in the solar system. They are caused by the buildup and sudden release of magnetic stress in the solar atmosphere above the giant magnetic poles we see as sunspots.
Where was the aurora borealis on March 13 1989?
The accompanying geomagnetic storm was so strong that on that same day it caused a surge on the Quebec power grid and knocked out electricity across the entire Canadian province. Photograph of the aurora of March 13, 1989, taken from Sea Cliff, NY, by Ken Spencer. The view is looking roughly northeast. (Image credit: ©1989 Ken Spencer)
How big was the CME that hit Earth in 1989?
On March 10, 1989, a CME about the size of 36 Earths erupted from the sun’s roiling surface and ripped through space at a million miles (1.6 million kilometers) per hour.
