Astroalert
News
The major
X-class solar flare observed at 10:15 UTC on 29 March was associated with a full
halo coronal mass ejection. This ejected mass was clocked at an estimated velocity
of about 1000 km/sec (based on visual SOHO imagery). The disturbance is expected
to impact the Earth during the late UTC hours of 30 March or the early UTC hours
of 31 March (anytime near or after approximately 4 pm EST on 30 March).
So
there are now two interplanetary shock waves travelling toward the Earth. The
first disturbance is expected to arrive on 30 March, perhaps near the mid-UTC
hours (anytime after 06:00 to 12:00 UTC on 30 March, or 1 am to 7 am EST). Auroral
activity is expected to reach minor to major storm levels during this first disturbance
that should provide a good opportunity for many dark-sky middle latitude sites
to observe.
The second faster disturbance has the potential of producing
major to brief severe storm level auroral activity that might become observable
well into the southern middle latitude regions (central U.S., central Europe,
etc). A more detailed estimation of the locations that might be able to observe
visible auroral activity is included below in the official middle latitude auroral
activity warning. |
