Severe Solar Storm - Is that why my phone is full of static ?

[leftyladyfrommo]

Could that be the reason? I couldn't even use my phone yesterday - but my cell phone was fine.

[Ptah]

1. That's probably the cause. Severe Space Storm Headed to Earth

New Forecast: Severe Space Storm Headed to Earth


http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/061213_solar_storm.html



Space weather forecasters revised their predictions for storminess after a
major flare erupted on the Sun overnight threatening damage to communication systems
and power grids while offering up the wonder of Northern Lights.

"We're looking for very strong, severe geomagnetic storming" to begin probably
around mid-day Thursday, Joe Kunches, Lead Forecaster at the NOAA Space
Environment Center, told SPACE.com this afternoon.

The storm is expected to generate aurora or Northern Lights, as far south as
the northern United States Thursday night. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station
are not expected to be put at additional risk, Kunches said.

Radio communications, satellites and power grids could face potential interruptions or damage,
however.

Solar flares send radiation to Earth within minutes. Some are also accompanied by
coronal mass ejections (CME), clouds of charged particles that arrive in a day or two.
This flare unleashed a strong CME that's aimed squarely at Earth.

[PVnRT]

4. Is Reed Richards prepping his spacecraft?

I couldn't resist the ham-fisted Marvel reference.

[Deep13]

2. Cool, watch for aurora!

[havocmom]

3. Here's another site besides the one Ptah gave you

http://www.spaceweather.com/

You can sign up for free email alerts for cool stuff that is happening in the sky AND you will know when there is a solar flare sending bad energy our way.

They will likely have some very cool pictures up after the storm hits earth and people get photos of auroras. They have a gallery of uploaded pics and it is always fun to check out.

[havocmom]

5. Yeppers, the magnetic storm is hitting earth

Auroral activity currently at a level 10.

Here is a site I tend to keep open in a window when we have had a solar flare, it shows the auroral activity registered by the most current satellite pass

http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html