Hootin' Anni's Day Trippin'

Another part of my Halloween Decor is added...see sidebar "Halloween Bash Part II"



Join Here

Today's Heads or Tails Prompt is 'wire'.



Which brings me to think of wire as in telephone poles, and the cable you see which has hidden wires [photo above is telephone cable]. Most cities now-a-days, during new construction, place the wiring underground. But still in rural areas you can see the poles from where you are and into the horizon. I also think of telegraph. In those days with use of telegraph --it was referred to as sending a 'wire'...wire a telegram. This also was the means of transferring messages back in the days prior to phones. Did you ever know about the Solar Storm of 1859? September 1st and 2nd to be exact?

On a cloudless morning, Richard Carrington, one of England's foremost solar astronomers, viewed an amazing event. Tho, for a fact it was just another sunny day for using his telescope. He viewed sunspots. And on this particular day it was different. Mr. Carrington was viewing a huge group of sunspots when he saw two very bright beads of white light appear over the TOP of the sunspots. And the light intensified rapidly. The lights brightened then slowly disappeared. The whole event took only about five minutes....but it was the start of a telegraphic trauma world wide.

The sky world-wide was treated to a spectacular array of red, green and purple auroras, so brilliant were these auroras that one could read the newspaper as if it were daylight. It all happened before dawn on September 2nd. Countries all over the world witnessed this phenomenon....places like Cuba, Jamaica, El Salvador and Hawaii, not to mention European countries.

Spark discharges shocked the telegraph operators and set the telegraph paper on fire! All hurried to disconnect their batteries from the power lines [thick cable filled with MANY wires]. The event now is known as solar flares...this was one of gigantic proportions! Today they're announced by x-ray...but in Carrington's day there were no x-ray satellites or radio noise. After exploding on the sun's surface they are arriving on earth within about 18-24 hours. And, they interfere with our globe's magnetic field.

In the years since, recording the geomagnetic disturbances, Carrington's 'flare' caused the largest storm! A flare in 1989 caused power lines and long distance cables from operating properly. In 2006, a flare so large was examined by an x-ray imager and it was so intense that it damaged the instrument. Cities in the northern latitudes were afflicted with power outages.

Telescopic view of solar storm -- with the auroras mentioned above.

Keep in mind that while you are enjoying your cellphones, laptop computers and GPS systems, remember---the sun has the power to zap them!!!


~..end Heads or Tails
[comment HERE if you'd like to skip the Halloween Treats]





<><><>

This week, a new Halloween gratification is going out to my commentors who leave kindness for me with their kind words left in my comment box. Today, it is handed out to:

Pattie
Jeanette
Teena


And your treat:



If you see your name above, and you'd like to pick up your 'gift', just click on it to enlarge and then save from the 2nd window.



~...end Halloween Treats
Now, I'm sharing a lovely gift from Lady Katherine a rose, from her garden---



Thank you so much Katherine. You made my day fill with sunshine's brightness and warmed my heart with this wonderful, beautiful gift!!!