Don't believe everything you read (Kp=5)

(tnx N3KL, NASA)

The news is all about the "Major Solar (Geomagnetic) Storm" we are having.  Points:

• No aurora visible last night (lat 41 deg), but Moon was very bright.
• Kp (Planetary K index) is supposed to be 5 now (quite high), and it was up to 8 last night. But the 20 meter ham band is hopping.  I just bagged my first digital T77 (San Marino).
• If it weren't for the news, I'd say 20 meter (14 MHz) conditions are fairly normal, but 15 and 17 meters (21 and 18 MHz) are largely dead.

Sometimes it's better not to know too much.

End of the world, coming into view?

Solar cataclysm (for shortwave radio folks) is happening right now.

The red shows the absorption of radio waves around the globe, with the center in the current sub-solar point (where it is noon).

We have "R3" radio blackout conditions.  (All from http://www.swpc.noaa.gov)

In addition to this, we have a "CME" (coronal mass ejection) of high-speed charged particles generated by a previous flare event that is supposed to hit us today, causing a geomagnetic storm that should further screw up the HF airwaves.  You probably won't lose your electric power, however, but you might get to see the aurora borealis tonight -- if it's not raining cats and dogs.

And, there are big thunderstorms outside.

And, there are two big hurricanes out there somewhere -- not in New England (yet) fortunately for us.

And lots of trouble coming from DC and some other world capitals.