23:23 23Oct2003 DJN-DJ Strong Geomagnetic Storm Expected To Hit Earth Fri

DJ Strong Geomagnetic Storm Expected To Hit Earth Fri
BOULDER, Colo. (AP)--A strong geomagnetic storm was expected to hit
Earth on Friday with the potential to affect electrical grids and satellite
communications.
One of the largest sunspot clusters in years developed over the past
three days and produced a coronal mass ejection, similar to a solar flare,
at 3 a.m. EDT (0700 GMT) Wednesday, forecasters at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration said.
The disturbance was expected to produce a geomagnetic storm rated G3. A
G5 storm is the strongest.
The storm could make the aurora visible as far south as Oregon and
Illinois in the U.S..
A coronal mass ejection is an explosion of gas and charged particles
into space from the corona, the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere.
A second sunspot cluster not yet visible from Earth could produce more
geomagnetic storms in the next two weeks, NOAA said.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires