The Suns Halloween Scare and the Media Frenzy
Abstract
SOHO appeared to be in everyone's focus this fall as the Sun turned from an almost spotless orb into an ominously scarred source of mighty fireworks in just a few days. Over two weeks, it featured three unusually large sunspot groups (including the largest one of this solar cycle), 11 X-class flares (including the strongest ever recorded), numerous halo CMEs (two with near-record speeds) and two significant proton storms which lasted for a combined five days. Satellites, power grids, radio communication and navigation systems were significantly affected in this period. The events caused unprecedented attention from the media and the public. Images from SOHO as well as quotes from SOHO scientists appeared in nearly every major news outlet (CNN, BBC, Associated Press, Reuters, to mention a few). Stories including SOHO images made the front page of newspapers and were featured prominently on including USA Today and The Washington Post. NASA estimated that the story reached "all" US newspapers and 2000 US TV channels. Media coverage in Europe was also impressive. The attention wiped out all existing SOHO web traffic records
- Publication:
-
AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2004
- Bibcode:
- 2004AGUSMSH32A..01B
- Keywords:
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- 7500 SOLAR PHYSICS;
- ASTROPHYSICS;
- AND ASTRONOMY;
- 7513 Coronal mass ejections;
- 7519 Flares