Re: Unusual conditions on the AM band locally last night

["Kaimbridge M. GoldChild" <kaimbridge@my-deja.com>]

 Dan Strassberg wrote,

>Major solar flares. Apparently the kind you get only 
>every 11 years. Not sure how long it will last but it's 
>sure to continue for at least a few nights. No 
>doubt, "Kaimbridge" will fill us in.

He-he-he!  </snicker>

>>>Conditions around 10PM last evening were quite unusual in the
>>>southern NH area.
>> 
>>>Even two/three hours after sunset, conditions were almost mid-day >>>like.

Yup, it's El Sol alright, though it is not the sunspot or even flare
itself--it's the "coronal mass ejection" (CME) that the flare emits,
which usually takes a few days to reach Earth.
That particular region is just about out of the picture--but another one
is just coming in:  Overall, there has been 4 major flares between today
and yesterday (including an "X17", the second largest flare since 1976,
though it wasn't directly facing Earth, so any big CME won't likely hit
us).
As for the AM band, it all depends on the "solar winds":  If the "Bz" is
negative (as occurs with CMEs) then geomagnetic storming is likely, but
if it turns "positive"--even if relatively shortly after a big CME--then
conditions will be quiet and the AM band should improve (during the big
Sunday storm, The "A-index" was over 100, but then the next day it
dropped back down to more normal 20's).

     ~Kaimbridge~