Flights rerouted as massive solar storm slams Earth

http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-flights-rerouted-massive-solar-storm.html

Flights rerouted as massive solar storm slams Earth

This January 23, 2012 image provided by NASA, captured by the Solar
Dynamics Observatory, shows a solar flare erupting on the Sun's
northeastern hemisphere at 03:49 UT. Solar radiation from a massive sun
storm -- the largest in nearly a decade -- collided with the Earth's
atmosphere on Tuesday, prompting an airline to reroute flights and
skywatchers to seek out spectacular light displays.

Solar radiation from a massive sun storm -- the largest in nearly a decade
-- collided with the Earth's atmosphere, prompting an airline to reroute
flights and skywatchers to seek out spectacular light displays.

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US carrier Delta Air Lines said it had adjusted flight routes for
transpolar journeys between Asia and the United States to avoid problems
caused by the radiation storm, a spokesman said.

NASA confirmed the coronal mass ejection (CME) began colliding with Earth's
magnetic field around 10:00 AM (1500 GMT) Tuesday, adding that the storm
was now being considered the largest since October 2003.

Radiation storms are not harmful to humans, on Earth at least, according to
the US space agency. They can, however, affect satellite operations and
short wave radio.

The storm's radiation, likely to continue bombarding Earth's atmosphere
through Wednesday, and its possible disruption to satellite communications
in the polar regions prompted the flight rerouting, airline officials said.

An Aurora borealis is pictured near the city of Tromsoe, northern Norway
Enlarge

An Aurora borealis is pictured near the city of Tromsoe, northern Norway.
Solar radiation from a massive sun storm -- the largest in nearly a decade
-- collided with the Earth's atmosphere on Tuesday, prompting an airline to
reroute flights and skywatchers to seek out spectacular light displays.
Atlanta-based Delta, the world's second largest airline, said "a handful"
of routes had their journey adjusted "based on potential impact" of the
solar storm on communications equipment, spokesman Anthony Black told AFP.

Routes from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Seoul took a more southerly route after
the solar flare erupted on Sunday.

The airline said it would continue to monitor solar activity before return
flights to their normal routes.

Due to the unusual intensity of the photons raining on Earth, the
spectacular aurora borealis -- the stunning "Northern Lights" display --
which is often seen closer to the Arctic pole at this time of year, has
been seen as far south as Scotland and northern England, and at lower
latitudes in the United States.

The event started late Sunday with a moderate-sized solar flare that
erupted right near the center of the Sun, said Doug Biesecker, a physicist
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather
Prediction Center.