Whats banging our magnetosphere ?

Unfortunatelly I'm a bit in a rush but I want to post this before I go out, but last couple of days it looks like the earths magnetosphere is under heavy attack !

Now I way far from an expert and I don't even know what most of the data means, but I am sure there are people on this board who are more familiar with the data and maybe can explain whats causing the activity.

Current Interplanetary Mag. Field;

Btotal: 8.7 nT
Bz: 5.5 nT north

Source; www.spaceweather.com...

Recent Simulated Images;







More recent images on www2.nict.go.jp...

Recent Space Weather Alert from NOAA;

Space Weather Message Code: SUMSUD
Serial Number: 92
Issue Time: 2009 Jan 30 2200 UTC

SUMMARY: Geomagnetic Sudden Impulse
Observed: 2009 Jan 30 2156 UTC
Deviation: 9 nT
Station: Boulder

www.swpc.noaa.gov...

More data;

www.swpc.noaa.gov...
www.swpc.noaa.gov...



[edit on 30-1-2009 by Just-Think]

All I've seen from those links is the solar wind not seen anything I think is unusual - but I'm no expert. Do you want to be more specific

reply to post by Just-Think


The pool boy and the gardner! I dont want to get busted so I will make this a two line post. Yipee I eyeeeeeeee!!!!!

I'm no astronomer or expert on this, but I did recently read something on this. Apparently, there have been virtually no sunspots, or was it solar flares? I don't recall, but what ever it was directly impacts our magnetosphere. When they are occurring, our magnetosphere is strengthened, or charged. It acts like a 'force-field', protecting Earth from 'incoming buckshot', radiation of different wavelengths. So now our protection is way down. Hope that helps some.

I recall reading somewhere recently that NASA was concerned about some solar wind or something along those lines, and the effect it was going to have on satellites and the northern parts of the US continent. I just cant remember where I saw it

I dont know if there is any connection here but i will post the link anyway..and dont ask me what its about because I havent got a clue!!!

gizmodo.com...

Originally posted by Gregarious
I'm no astronomer or expert on this, but I did recently read something on this. Apparently, there have been virtually no sunspots, or was it solar flares? I

Sunspots and solar flares (CME's) seem to be very closely connected,

The sunspot and the CME activity usually work on a cycle about 14 years long I think, there is a minimum activity point and a maximum... We passed what was expected to be the solar minimum in the early part of 08 and we should really be seeing an increase - and a continuing increase over the coming years (until about 2012... please don't make this into a 2012 issue it's just a cycle)

Anywho I did also hear that the sun is being unusually quiet, some have said that this indicates a worse solar maximum.

But the OP's post really shows no more than solar wind.. please say why it is suddenly worrying!

wow, i haven't seen quite like this before. i've been watching close on the Real-time Magnetosphere Simulation website since an asteroid called TU24 that passed earth 300,000 miles away last year in April, i think.. this link will tell you about solar wind speed.. www.ips.gov.au... . as right now it is 435 km/sec. its a bit higher than normal.

i'm wondering if Venus is messing with the magnestosphere?

[edit on 30-1-2009 by whiteblack]

Its Ron Jeremy

sorry couldn't help it - I don't know
Sunspots activity has been V.weird and low over last 6 weeks at least.
Seismic activity picked up around the 20th Jan and there was an earth-mercury alignment around the 19th 20th Jan.

Originally posted by whiteblack
wow, i haven't seen quite like this before. i've been watching close on the Real-time Magnetosphere Simulation website since an asteroid called TU24 that passed earth 300,000 miles away last year in April, i think.. this link will tell you about solar wind speed.. www.ips.gov.au... . as right now it is 435 km/sec. its a bit higher than normal.

i'm wondering if Venus is messing with the magnestosphere?

[edit on 30-1-2009 by whiteblack]

If 435 km/sec was a bit higher than normal then I thought I'd mention that it's now 501 km/sec. LINK

The website says that higher solar wind speeds are associated with geomagnetic storms on earth. I also read (in this thread?) that this situation could interfere with satellites and wondered if that could have a connection with the 2 that collided last week?

Originally posted by Gregarious
I'm no astronomer or expert on this, but I did recently read something on this. Apparently, there have been virtually no sunspots, or was it solar flares? I don't recall, but what ever it was directly impacts our magnetosphere. When they are occurring, our magnetosphere is strengthened, or charged. It acts like a 'force-field', protecting Earth from 'incoming buckshot', radiation of different wavelengths. So now our protection is way down. Hope that helps some.

The Earth's magnetic field flips ever 50,000 years or so, but ...
we have not had a flip in 780,000 years.

Prior to flip of the field we get magnetic anomolies that show
areas of reversed polarization via magnetic imaging satellites.

Magnetic Storm - The Earth's Invisible Shield by NOVA

This is a documentary explaining the whole deal, and why the
Earth's magnetic field is getting weaker at a rapid pace.

We are going to be ok, but we will see a higher incident of cancer.