Space Alert / Radiation storm

SUBSIDING RADIATION STORM: A solar radiation storm in progress around Earth is slowly subsiding. It currently ranks S2 (moderate) on NOAA storm scales, which means that satellites in Earth orbit could experience "single event upsets" in their electronic systems. The radiation storm is also a source of noise in spacecraft cameras, giving their images a snowy appearance (see below).

M5-CLASS EXPLOSION: The ongoing radiation storm got started on May 22nd when the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR1745 exploded. The blast produced an M5-class solar flare and hurled a magnificent CME over the sun's western limb:

The movie of the CME is very "snowy." That is caused by high-energy solar protons striking the CCD camera in SOHO's coronagraph. Each strike produces a brief snow-like speckle in the image. This hailstorm of solar protons is what forecasters mean by "radiation storm."

Although the explosion was not squarely Earth-directed, the CME will likely be geoeffective. The expanding cloud appears set to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on May 24th around 1200 UT. According to NOAA forecast models, the impact will more than double the solar wind plasma density around Earth and boost the solar wind speed to ~600 km/s. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.
Source:
http://www.spaceweather.com/

Space Alert

Space Weather Message Code: WARPC0
Serial Number: 69
Issue Time: 2013 May 23 0543 UTC

EXTENDED WARNING: Proton 100MeV Integral Flux above 1pfu expected
Extension to Serial Number: 68
Valid From: 2013 May 22 1405 UTC
Now Valid Until: 2013 May 23 1400 UTC
Warning Condition: Persistence
Potential Impacts: An enhancement in the energetic portion of the 

solar radiation spectrum may indicate increased biological risk to

 astronauts or passengers and crew in high latitude, high altitude 

flights. Additionally, energetic particles may represent an increased

 risk to all satellite systems susceptible to single event effects. 

This information should be used in conjunction with the current 

Solar Radiation Storm conditions when assessing overall impact.

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Source:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ftpdir/forecasts/ALTS.txt