Topband: solar flare

[R]

this is somewhat non technical  but it oughta be really
interesting to see what happens on top band

73
Robin, WA6CDR

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Solar flare will make its presence known here today

The Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. -- A strong geomagnetic storm was expected to hit
Earth on Friday with the potential to affect electrical grids and
satellite communications.

One of the largest sunspot clusters in years developed over the
past three days and produced a coronal mass ejection, similar to
a solar flare, at 3 a.m. EDT Wednesday, forecasters at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

The disturbance was expected to produce a geomagnetic storm rated
G3. A G5 storm is the strongest.

The storm could make the aurora visible as far south as Oregon
and Illinois.

A coronal mass ejection is an explosion of gas and charged
particles into space from the corona, the outermost layer of the
sun's atmosphere.

A second sunspot cluster not yet visible from Earth could produce
more geomagnetic storms in the next two weeks, NOAA said.