heberlei@iris.ucdavis.edu (Todd) (03/15/89)
I saw the Northern Lights last night from Sacramento (actually Davis). The light was big and pretty darn bright. Unfortunately, by the time I got my camera loaded up with film, the light had faded. My father called me from Merced (in the central valley) to tell me about it, and my friend's sister claims to have seen it from Santa Barbara. What surprised me the most was that I didn't see it in the 11:00 news. I haven't seen a paper this morning, so I don't know if they mention it. One of the biggest astronomical events (in my eyes anyways) this year (maybe decade), and our local news crews miss it! Will this solar activity be any danger to the people or equipment in the shuttle? Todd Heberlein heberlei@iris.ucdavis.edu 128.120.57.20
patrice@concour.CS.Concordia.CA (Patrice Scattolin) (03/16/89)
> >Will this solar activity be any danger to the people or equipment in >the shuttle? I don't know aqbout that but what I know for a fact is that the magnetic storm causing the Northern Lights is being blame for a province wide power failiure that lasted around 7 to 8 hours. Apparently the change in magnetic fields induces curents in the transmission lines making the voltage fluctuate from 736 KV to 700 KV to 800 KV and resulted in equipement failiures. They are pretty but they are trouble! _____________________________________________________________________ Patrice Scattolin. Concordia University, Montreal Canada patrice@concour.cs.concordia.ca "I live so far North that Santa lives two blocks down the street."