Seasons in the Sun

It has always been a habit for me to open Wikipedia when at work especially during idle (avail) hours (I know my team manager would kill me if he'd read this but I have been careful since my partner got caught before). Anyways, I have opened the site earlier today and I was shock to read about the reported CME (Coronial Mass Eruption) observed in the sun (more like solar flares) last August 1. As per wikipedia, this is a release of material from the solar corona, usually observed with a white-light coronagraph. The ejected material is a plasma consisting primarily of electrons and protons (in addition to small quantities of heavier elements such as helium, oxygen, and iron), plus the entraining coronal magnetic field. (nosebleed eh?) Anyways, these are constant eruptions happening in the sun due to some magnetic forces stronger than average. But sometimes these eruptions get so intense that it releases material off to space towards Earth and neighboring planets.

Wikipedia also added that at an observed velocity varying between 670,560 m/s and 1,118,000 m/s (meters per second), they were expected to strike the Earth's geomagnetic field sometime between August 4 and early August 5. As of 05:00 UTC August 4, the estimated time of arrival of the series was as follows:
Wednesday, August 4 – 07:00 UTC
Wednesday, August 4 – 17:00 UTC
Thursday, August 5 – 00:00 UTC
Thursday, August 5 – 06:00 UTC

All four were described as large and, according to scientists, possessed enough energy to cause aurorae to be observed by the naked eye in non-polar regions. According to reports, aurorae would be visible at night toward the northern horizon in temperate latitudes between 45° to 50°, and near overhead in regions farther north. Philippines, by the way, is in the 13°latitude. Ok, so much for my excitement of seeing auroras without having to go to the Arctic. But that can happen if the CME was a big as it was during the solar storm of 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm that happened bet Sept 1-2, 1859. Auroras where observed even in the Carribean.

Got this picture from Spaceweather taken by a man named Peter Rosén from Stockholm, Sweden

Picture taken at 1:36 am local time on August 5th using Canon 5D Mark II

Aside from the visual effects of the CME series, scientists also fear that electric impulses caused by disruptions in the magnetic field due to the ionized particles may damage infrastructure such as power grids and telephone lines not adequately protected against induced magnetic current. It has also been reported that several Earth-orbiting satellites may be in similar danger. If you happen to see the movie Knowing you could only expect for the worst. Has anyone heard whispers? Just kidding ;)