X-Class Solar Flare Northern Lights Sunspot 1158

There has been recent activity on our celestial solar life giving partner 'The Sun', and it may bring a light show to some regions close to the poles tonight and for the next few evenings.

A new 'Sunspot' formed on the Sun and has been named Sunspot 1158; it is in a position on the Sun that until a couple of days ago, was quiet and activity free.

The Sun has become much more active recently and has been showing signs of what has been coined as an 'Awakening' by Sun watchers around the globe. NASA's SOHO project shows this activity in detail, and has been causing quite a stare among astrologists and scientists alike.

Sunspot 1158 has also kicked up quite a storm in the solar stakes, throwing out what is called an X-Class Solar Flare on February 16^th 2011, which is due to reach our part of space today. This will give rise to those light shows known as The Aurora Borealis in the Polar Regions of our planet today or tomorrow night.

Solar Flares have the capability of causing disturbances in satellite communications and electronic equipment on or around our planet, but does this solar flare have that capability?

It seems as though any excitement regarding a breach in satellite communications and technology here on Earth can be watered down slightly, Sunspot 1158 and its accompanying Solar Flare will at best cause very minimal disruption to satellite communications. Although there is the possibility that a large Solar flare in the near future could wreak havoc to global technology.

Unfortunately there is nothing much that science and technology can do about large Solar flares at the moment; there has been talk of sending into orbit giant Solar Mirrors to deflect such Solar Flares, but this is as much science fiction as an idea currently. But to reiterate our orbiting satellites are quite safe at the moment, so do not panic your cell phone or iPad will still work over the next few days.

Sunspot 1158 and the X-Class Solar Flare will produce a spectacular light show in our atmosphere, so those people living in the Northern Hemisphere should hope for a clear night and get their cameras ready for a spot of Northern Lights photographing over the next few nights.

Also keep your eyes on NASA's SOHO Project which shows some great images of the 'halo' or Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) of the recent Solar flare activity on the 16^th February, 2011. (Link to SOHO)

Source: NASA SOHO