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Article: SOLAR FLARE MAY DISRUPT POWER, OR DO NOTHING THIS ERUPTION IS 10 TIMES BIGGER THAN ONE REPORTED LAST WEEK, SCIENTIST SAYS.(FRONT)
- Article from:
- The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI)
- Article date:
- October 29, 2003
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Byline: Faye Flam Knight Ridder Newspapers
PHILADELPHIA -- Scientists Tuesday warned that a massive solar flare could cause power outages and spectacular northern lights shows today and Thursday. Or not.
The latest warning comes less than a week after a similar alert proved overblown.
"We don't want to be seen as crying wolf," said Christine Lafon, a spokeswoman for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CFA), which predicted a major geomagnetic storm.
Lafon said the latest sunspot eruption was 10 times the size of last week's non-event. The flare occurred on the sun's surface about 6 a.m. Tuesday and was detected by a number ...