A “Perfect Coronal Mass Ejection” Could Be a Nightmare 02/10/2021
Space Weather considers what might happen if a worst-case coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth a “perfect solar storm,” if you will.
In 2014, Bruce Tsurutani of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Gurbax Lakhina of the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism introduced the “
perfect CME.” It could create a magnetic storm with intensity up to the saturation limit, a value greater than the
Carrington Event of 1859, the researchers said. Many other spaceweather effects would not be limited by saturation effects, however. The interplanetary shock would arrive at Earth within about 12 hours, the shock impingement onto the magnetosphere would create a sudden impulse of around 234 nanoteslas (nT), and the magnetic pulse duration in the magnetosphere would be about 22 seconds. Orbiting satellites would be exposed to “extreme levels of flare and interplanetary CME (ICME) shock-accelerated particle radiatio
Club Gets Double Duty from Minnesota QSO Party 2021 Operation 02/10/2021
The Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association (
MVARA) fielded a team to the parking lot of a local TV station to take part in the Minnesota QSO Party over the February 7 – 8 weekend. Not only did the group get some emergency exercise training but garnered positive publicity for amateur radio from the station’s news team. Using special event call sign W0M, 10 radio amateurs including one newly minted General-class ham who’s still awaiting his call sign pitched in. The operation took place in an emergency communications bus, with everything set up like a Field Day operation, although in the Minnesota winter.
RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 109 as Troubleshooting Continues 02/08/2021
The RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E CubeSat has been designated as AMSAT-OSCAR 109 (AO-109). The satellite, which carries a telemetry beacon and a linear transponder, along with radiation effects experiments, is a joint mission of AMSAT and the Institute for Space and Defense Electronics at Vanderbilt University. While the telemetry beacon on 435.750 MHz has not yet been heard, the transponder is partially operational at reduced signal strength.
“Work continues to recover the telemetry beacon and characterize the transponder with the goal of opening it for general use,” AMSAT said this week. “Testing and characterization of RadFxSat-2/AO-109 continues.”
Plans to Retrieve Titanic Wireless Equipment Put on Indefinite Hold 02/02/2021
RMS Titanic, Inc., (RMST) the company that owns salvage rights to the
Titanic shipwreck, has indefinitely put off its plans to retrieve the vessel’s radio equipment for exhibit. The company cited the coronavirus pandemic for the delay, according to a court filing the company made on January 29. The Atlanta-based company said its plans have faced “increasing difficulty associated with international travel and logistics, and the associated health risks to the expedition team.” RMST’s primary source of revenue comes from its exhibits of its vast collection of
Titanic relics, which have been closed or seen only limited attendance due to virus-related restrictions.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.