Violent sun throws fit, massive blast of plasma to hit Earth tomorrow
By Tim Stevens 
posted August 3rd 2010 9:02AM
posted August 3rd 2010 9:02AM
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are no laughing matter, but for quite some time now we've been livin' easy as the sun kept it cool. That changes tomorrow, when a massive CME will hit our atmosphere, flung asunder by that great CFL in the sky, which apparently spent much of yesterday throwing a giant, solar tantrum. Scientists are saying that human life will probably not be exterminated thanks to our atmosphere, but GPS and cellular reception could be a little finicky tomorrow. We can't wait to see the anti-sun attack ads from Apple.Update: Twitter user d0mth0ma5 sent us this link to a NASA time-lapse of the ejection. Make your time.
[Thanks, Eric]
From where excatly??
@chasing statues The Sun! Big yellow thing, look up.
@d0mth0ma5 oh, but don't look at it directly, especially not tomorrow.
@chasing statues the sun is shooting off fireworks to celebrate the release of Froyo on EVO LOL
@d0mth0ma5 lol i meant where in the atmosphere =)
@chasing statues
Wow, I planned a great day to go to the beach then. Now I can't even get there with the GPS interference. I guess it's back to 2004 and my map reading skills....
@chasing statues According to NASA it's going to "hit" the Atmosphere tonight/early tomorrow over North America/Europe and should produce a bit of a light-show (Aurora).
@d0mth0ma5
No love for Australia?
Scrw it, you guys need the heat right?
Sent from Gold Coast
@Kangal Actually now I think about it, I may have mis-read the NASA page. North America/Europe will see the Aurora, but if it's coming from the sun then it will have to hit the day-side of the Earth at that time (Asia) and spread over the Magnetosphere. If anyone can correct/confirm either way? Either way, no love for the Aussies though, maybe next time (in 11-ish years).
@dhamp2g
If the Droid gets froyo tomorrow and I don't get it because of this, I will give something to throw a fit about
@chasing statues
Solar-gate? Don't think ben the sun can make bumbers big enough to fix this one.
@chasing statues : Will this make my TV screen bigger? :)
@chasing statues Dude. The point of impact is...the atmosphere. The sun is kinda large....when it throws something our way its not just going to hit the US or Asia, or Europe. Its going to hit everything.
@John Doe ......."its not just going to hit the US or Asia, or Europe. Its going to hit everything."
Except of course where the sun don't shine
@chasing statues . Will this effect my iPhone 4 antena problem?
@John Doe But its gonna hit a certain point on the atmosphere and then gonna effect everything. It's just good to know who will see the auroras and have the most celluar interception.
@One Love it will make you smaller, so technically your tv screen gets bigger
@chasing statues Wait... What?! o.O
So I am supposed to believe.. that YOU believe... that the solar flare ejected from a Sunspot that could probably fit, oh, a hundred or so Earths inside of it, is going to "hit a certain point" on the earth's atmosphere??
yeah.... no...
The whole sun-facing half buddy... and more than that, actually, as the magnetic and gravitational force of the planet will pull some in around the edges, and the entire glancing blow will be directed towards our polls... Hence why the night-side will see it as well.
It's cool though, the maximum is coming in 2013... Which just means that we all die out before it the sun REALLY gets riled up...
@chasing statues hopefully higher up than you are
@chasing statues Darn, bad time for me to be building ice sculptures, I guess.
what's funny is this could potentially "wipe out the earth population", and they'd never really tell us...
@webmastir that isn't funny :( I guess tonight is a good night to call into work!
@webmastir HOLY SITH. My Deathstar is situated very close to your moon. I can't let another Deathstar die.
@Lord Vader What's the manoeuvring speed of the Death Star?
@webmastir
I'm pretty sure anyone that's looking at the sun with this takes place will go blind...
@d0mth0ma5 certainly not fast enough to make the kessel run in 12 parsecs.
@d0mth0ma5 It takes 3 days to initiate Hyperspeed. I have a bad feeling about this
@Robhimself I love that quote, it's absolute twaddle.
@webmastir Explain your basis for: "could potentially "wipe out the earth population". And who are "they?"
@Lord Vader
What exactly did you have in mind when you placed the death star so close to earth? Any particular target you thought of? o.O
@Sofabutt They are correct, but not yet, and as always "they" are Scientists. The magnetosphere surrounding the earth will deflect the harmful elements of the Ejection, but if the magnetosphere weakens then we would be quite, quite screwed.
@Wokis The only reason I am close to Earth is so that I can leach off your planets bandwidth and Internets. Also to read Engadget, and in the future to potentially invade you
@webmastir
Wipe out the Earth's population? Nah, more like a massive solar fart. Annoying but not deadly.
@Lord Vader
What the hell do you know about the Deathstar?. You didn't think a snub fighter with a proton torpedo was a major problem. Newsflash: It is!
@captaind172 You again? Mr "LordDarthVader is a boring tool". And Mr "Lord Vader can't do a damn thing about anything". I admire your hatred. It give me focus and motivation
@ Darth Vader
Just fire your ion cannon at the plasma.
If my knowledge of b-movie science holds, they should both veer off, missing your death star, the earth, and SMITING our respective enemies
@TheRealCJ *Most* Impressive Plan. I will bet the Life of the Deathstar on it
@Lord Vader
Ooooh, I get it. You use captaind172 as a kind of force-choke calibrator, right?
"Oh, my force choke missed across this room, hmm, Mr. Captaind172, please come here, stand still" *choke* "Thank you, you may go".
@TheRealCJ Precisely! captaind172, i hearby rename you "Force Choke Calibrator"
@Lord Vader
Can you use the tractor beam to move Venus just slightly so it can take the hit? ;)
@Robhimself To bad parsecs are a measurement of distance, not time. However I do applaud the movie quote being thrown in.
@captaind172
ditto
@samisax Your comments are not welcome here Gungan
@Lord Vader
Well even if the plasma doesn't get you, you're still screwed. I got news for you: that ain't no moon.
Seriously, Vader. I cannot believe you fell for your own trick. You're slipping.
@Lord Vader
I'm starting to realize how sad you are. Get a job man.
Being an Engadget frequent poster/"entertainer" doesn't count. Especially since your comments never have anything to do with the article.
You apparently are a popular troll (I will be downranked), nevertheless a troll. Stop.
@Bandigolo Indeed i am. Maybe it's time to upgrade my Core f8 brain. Yes, and I'll add glowing red eyes while I'm at it
@samisax. Personally, I was literally LMAO. I'm sorry you don't enjoy the humor, but Lord Vader's comments are welcomee as far as i' concerned. Continue Lord Vader, what is thy bidding my master?
@webmastir
From the NASA website:
"On August 1st around 0855 UT, Earth orbiting satellites detected a C3-class solar flare. The origin of the blast was Earth-facing sunspot 1092. C-class solar flares are small (when compared to X and M-class flares) and usually have few noticeable consequences here on Earth besides aurorae."
We'll be fine.
@webmastir
Actually:
"Scientists are saying that human life will probably not be exterminated thanks to our atmosphere"
Engadget, as the saying goes, when you ASSuME, you make an A...
@LazarusDark : Indeed. Many Bothans died to bring us those comments.