This morning [Sept. 18, 1998] at between 1200 UTC and 1500 UTC [8am-11am EDT], a strong magnetic disturbance interacted with our magnetosphere. The electron levels went into a state of heavy flux, GOES magnetometer readings went into heavy flux, and planetary magnetism readings suddenly rose to moderate-major storm level readings... with red bar readings of "6" reported for the 3-hour averaged period.

NOAA Announces Storm Warning Scale...11/10/99 WASHINGTON (AP) -

The Sun will greet the new millennium by turning angry, erupting into the most active part of its 11-year cycle with outbursts of energy that can threaten satellites, electrical power and spacewalking astronauts.

Officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday the approaching solar storm could be more destructive than previous cycles because the Earth has more power grids and satellites that might be affected.

There are also 600 satellites, more than ever in history, that also might be affected, said D. James Baker, the NOAA administrator. This year the power companies and satellite operators will be better prepared than ever, he said.

Two satellites, operated by NOAA, NASA and the AirForce, are positioned in orbit to warn about hazardous energy bursts fromthe sun. The scales will predict the intensity of three types of energy eruptions from the sun: geomagnetic, radiation and radio storms.

For geomagnetic storms, caused by ejections of charged masses fromthe corona of the sun, there is a scale of G1 to G5. The strongest, G5, warns of electromagnetic energy powerful enough to knock out power grids, disable satellites and cause auroras, the so-called northernlights, to be visible as far south as the equator.  

For radiation storms, caused by bursts of protons and neutrons, the scale is from S5, the strongest, to S1. An S5 storm would be powerful enough to kill spacewalking astronauts, disrupt communications, cause memory lossesin satellites and even disrupt navigation signals.   For radio storms, caused by bursts of radio frequency energy from the sun, the scale is from R5, the strongest, to R1. An R5 storm could cause a blackout of high frequency radio signals on the sunlit side of the Earth and disrupt low frequency navigation signals for hours.

  LATEST SPACE WEATHER ALERTS & WARNINGS

  CURRENT SPACE ENVIRONMENT CENTER

  THE K INDEX

  SEE THE GOES 8 PROTON FLUX

  AURORAL ACTIVITY

  SOLAR FLARES

  LATEST PICTURE OF THE FLARES ON THE SUN

  IPS REAL-TIME SPACE WEATHER STATUS PANEL

  OUR STAR, THE SUN   A great place to learn about the Sun . Easy learning at this site. *****

  SOLAR TERRESTRIAL ACTIVITY REPORT

WASHINGTON, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Solar winds blowing at more than a million miles per hour hit the Earth's magnetic field on Wednesday, sparking what U.S. government scientists say could be a significant geomagnetic storm. The U.S. Geological Survey said charged particles from a solar eruption hit the Earth's magnetic field around 3 a.m. EDT (0700 GMT) and the resulting fluctuations in the field could cause power outages, satellite failures, disruption in communications and the aurora borealis.

Auroras are usually seen only in northern latitudes, but may become visible in the continental United States during this geomagnetic storm, the agency said.

While auroras are not as dramatic at mid-latitudes, they have been described in the past as resembling city lights in the sky, but in green, blue, and sometimes, red.

A severe magnetic storm in March 1989 caused the collapse of the Hydro-Quebec power system in Canada, leaving about six million people without power.

The U.S. Geological Survey operates 13 magnetic observatories throughout the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico that continuously monitor the Earth's magnetic field.