Today's X1 flare - CME or Laser Beam???

Originally posted by Phage
You seem to be confusing a solar flare with a CME. They are not the same thing.

CMEs are clouds of plasma ejected by the Sun

Flares are electromagnetic radiation (light, UV, x-rays). Not exactly a laser beam, more like an electrical arc. A very bright flash. What is seen in the images of the flare is the overloading of the devices by the intensity of the flare.

While CMEs are often associated with flares there can be flares without CMEs and CMEs without flares. In this case there was a CME which was associated with the flare.

edit on 7/11/2012 by Phage because: (no reason given)

Can CMEs and solar flares both be called - ion storms - originating from our sun?

reply to post by Eurisko2012

A CME, being a cloud of charged particles, could also be called a cloud of ions. A storm of you like.
A solar flare, being a burst of electromagnetic radiation, could not be called an ion storm.

Space weather warning that AR1520 is posing to have the magnetic power to create an x-flare in the coming days as the sunspot is directed right at us. Heads up to all interested, break out your viewing instruments and gets some pics!!!

SaneThinking

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by Eurisko2012

 

A CME, being a cloud of charged particles, could also be called a cloud of ions. A storm of you like.
A solar flare, being a burst of electromagnetic radiation, could not be called an ion storm.

I see.

I visit www.solarham.net often.

Our normal solar wind appears to be around 500 km/sec.

What's the ballpark speed of a Carrington Event CME if blast at the Earth?

2,000 - 3,000 km/sec?

reply to post by Eurisko2012

It took about 18 hours for the CME associated with the flare witnessed by Carrington to arrive at Earth. That translates to about 2,300 km/sec.

Hey there is a new date for the end of the world!!!! (Because December 21st nutjobs get too impatient) - it is Sept 22!!! The sun will burn the surface, the ones who made DUMBs and go there will live!!!!

reply to post by Eurisko2012


Correct about the solar flare/CME confusion in the title, I realized later after it was too late to change the title. My ignorance is now corrected, and what I wanted to talk about was the solar flare on that day, which as far as I know had nothing to do with any CME. I never claimed to be an expert in astronomy or heliodynamics, but am learning more each day.

Originally posted by PlanetXisHERE
reply to post by Eurisko2012

 

Correct about the solar flare/CME confusion in the title, I realized later after it was too late to change the title. My ignorance is now corrected, and what I wanted to talk about was the solar flare on that day, which as far as I know had nothing to do with any CME. I never claimed to be an expert in astronomy or heliodynamics, but am learning more each day.

You're doing just fine.

I do my research at Wikipedia.

Just type in Solar Flare , Coronal Mass Ejection or Carrington Event.

Originally posted by Eurisko2012

You're doing just fine.

I do my research at Wikipedia.

Just type in Solar Flare , Coronal Mass Ejection or Carrington Event.

Thanks! You know what they say........if you never make mistakes your probably not stretching yourself very much.

I think Wiki is okay for non-controversial topics, but what do you use for possible coverups, etc? Have you tried bibliotecapleyades?