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    Astronauts in Space Safe from Huge Solar Radiation Storm

    By SPACE.com Staff
    Space.com     | SPACE.com – Mon, Jan 23, 2012

    An intense solar flare unleashed the biggest radiation storm in years today (Jan. 23), but astronauts aboard the International Space Station are not in any danger, NASA officials say.

    The sun eruption triggered the most powerful radiation storm since 2005 in a wave of charged particles that is expected to hit our planet Tuesday (Jan. 24) at around 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT), according to experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center, which is operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

    NASA scientists also routinely monitor space weather conditions in order to protect astronauts and hardware in orbit from harmful radiation, and today's solar storm is no exception, agency officials said.

    "The flight surgeons have reviewed the space weather forecasts for the flare and determined that there are no expected adverse effects or actions required to protect the on-orbit crew," NASA spokesman Kelly Humphries told SPACE.com.

    The solar flare erupted this morning at 0359 GMT (which corresponds to late Sunday, Jan. 22 at 10:59 p.m. EST), triggering a solar explosion known as a coronal mass ejection that sent a stream of charged particles into space. When these charged particles hit Earth they stream down the planet's magnetic field lines to create so-called geomagnetic storms that can supercharge Earth's auroras (also known as the northern and southern lights).

    But space weather can also have negative effects, such as interfering with power grids and communications infrastructure on Earth, and disrupting satellites and other spacecraft in orbit.

    According to the skywatching site Spaceweather.com, today's coronal mass ejection "will deliver a strong glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24-25 as it sails mostly north of our planet."

    In response, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a geomagnetic storm watch, and the agency's deputy, Kathy Sullivan, said that polar flights are expected to be re-routed.

    Editor's note: If you snap an amazing northern lights photo, or other skywatching image, and would like to share it for a possible story or gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com.

    OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel (@btisrael) contributed to this report from New Orleans, La. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

     

    32 comments

    • D Hawes
      D Hawes  •  Tampa, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      heh. People are 'freaking out' over a solar flare,yet think nothing of tearing down a highway,texting,putting on makeup and blaring a sound system at 80 MPH.
      • wtfk
        wtfk 4 mths ago
        It's the nature of news. They do that every day, and haven't killed themselves yet.
    • Randy Coolbaugh
      Randy Coolbaugh  •  Doylestown, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      wondering if this has anyting to do with my loss of cell signal, just seems odd, ive had my cell phone for years with no loss of signal....untill 2 days ago...just sayin.
    • Drizzzz
      Drizzzz  •  Sunnyvale, California  •  4 mths ago
      radiation levels within the ISS are about one millisievert per day, about the same amount of radiation one would get on the ground from natural sources in one year. . The primary source of the radiation is the collision of cosmic rays with aluminum atoms in the hull, creating a shower of particles. Newer shielding uses polyethylene, whose lighter atomic nuclei were designed to reduce the amount of secondary particles released in collisions.
    • Segun
      Segun  •  London, United Kingdom  •  4 mths ago
      I just hope they won't come back and become another version of the "Fantastic Four". If they did, hopefully, they'd be good guys and can rid us off the suicide bombers that's plaguing the planet.
    • Honest Abe
      Honest Abe  •  Newark, New Jersey  •  4 mths ago
      I'm not even sure that imminent impact by a global-killing comet would scare us straight at this point!
    • uncommon_otaku
      uncommon_otaku  •  4 mths ago
      BTW - when the Space Community eventually gets around to getting a Mars Junket financed. They had better give the entire craft decent shielding,... & stage the trip for a quiet period. Otherwise by the time they get to Mars everyone on board will be dead.

      This is why we should capture an asteroid for study. While some scientists are studying it, other scientists & engineers could be tunneling it out for habitats and building protective measures to safe guard a trip out.
      It would not be such a bad idea to mount an array of the plasma drives for expiditing the trip for maneuvering and trajectory modification.
      Good thing is when they come back it can be refitted and restocked for another "junket" to some where else.
      If we still can't afford to build something better at least we will have this.
    • Nick
      Nick  •  South Milwaukee, Wisconsin  •  4 mths ago
      Why are people worried about a solar flare? its harmless to us, the magnetic field absorbs all the energy. calm down
      • wtfk
        wtfk 4 mths ago
        Not every solar flare will be absorbed by the earth's magnetic field. One of the possible ways life ends on earth is a huge solar flare which kills the magnetic field...and for what it's worth, one of our data centers at work became unreachable at just around that time. They're not "harmless." They're USUALLY, MOSTLY harmless.
    • Ravenel
      Ravenel  •  4 mths ago
      its not like they can go get them fast if they were in danger so this is a moot article.
      • Motie
        Motie 4 mths ago
        No one has to "go get them". Their return vehicles are docked at the Station all the time.
    • lonelystar
      lonelystar  •  New York, New York  •  4 mths ago
      Of course they are safe but a lot of people here on Earth is freaking out:)))))
    • S.
      S.  •  4 mths ago
      so being closer to the source is better?
      • noendinsight
        noendinsight 4 mths ago
        well, being in space is probably better than being affixed to earth. a larger mass has a larger electrical field. Also, it's better to be in the ocean when a tsunami approaches. the waves don't peak until close to land.
      • D Hawes
        D Hawes 4 mths ago
        Heh. 'People are freaking out' at a solar flair,but think nothing of tearing down a highway,texting,putting on makeup and blareing their soundsystem a 80 MPH.
    • Dorian
      Dorian  •  Kaiserslautern, Germany  •  4 mths ago
      As long as they are inside of the Earths magnetic field they will be fine. That is our shield from things like that.and it extends out to a pretty good range beyond our atmosphere. Being on the night side of the planet would help also.
    • STEVEN
      STEVEN  •  Baltimore, Maryland  •  4 mths ago
      If we lost the sun we will freeze to deaf. Earth would be frozzen like saturn with out a ring.
      • kegler
        kegler 4 mths ago
        freeze so we cant hear?? please tell us more.
    • safeinthewoods
      safeinthewoods  •  4 mths ago
      ... wonder what the aurora looks like from outside ..?
    • Derek
      Derek  •  4 mths ago
      Fantastic Four???
    • Mike
      Mike  •  4 mths ago
      Nothing will happen, just another day folks.
    • LadyLove
      LadyLove  •  League City, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      I hope the people in the station are really safe. I mean if it's not there isn't much they can do. You can just leave
    • noendinsight
      noendinsight  •  Manila, Philippines  •  4 mths ago
      Contact Tariq Malik for concerns about this article. Wasn't he Saddam Hussein's defense minister.
    • Ricky
      Ricky  •  Lubbock, Texas  •  4 mths ago
      Madman drummer, Follows indians, In the summer,With a teenage diplomat
    • Mark
      Mark  •  Springfield, Illinois  •  4 mths ago
      Derek is right. Just ask Reed Richard, Ben Grimm, Johnny and Susan Storm. They might have company soon . :D
    • Don
      Don  •  Tucson, Arizona  •  4 mths ago
      Then it really wasn't a concern afterall, Yahoo. Yet another headline written to entice people to read an article about NOTHING lol.
     Post a comment
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