article on Solar Activity
nice article in
Kuro5hin on Solar Activity
bq. What's up with the Sun? Scientists are usually fairly reliable with predicting solar activity. We're supposed to be in the second waning period of an 11-year solar cycle. Instead of decreasing, though, the activity on the gaseous giant around a million times the size of planet Earth is increasing.
bq. Solar flares are currently measured with three classes using a logarithmic scale; C-class (little no no effect on Earth), M-class (medium strength) and X-class. The latter and strongest class of solar flare ranges in intensity from X1 to X20. One of the biggest solar flares occured in 1859. An X18 class in March of 1989 was the second largest. That is, until the last couple of months.
bq. After building up in October with an X18 magnitude solar flare, on November 4, we witnessed the largest solar flare since we've been studying them closely. The coronal ejection temporarily blinded the machines taking the images. Using the amount of time that the satellites were out of commission, scientists are now estimating a magnitude anywhere from X27 to X40+.
Lots of links too - good stuff...
Posted by DaveH at November 19, 2003 11:52 AM