* Astronomy

HALLOWEEN SPACE WEATHER STORMS OF 2003

In October and November of 2003, well into the declining phase of Solar Cycle 23, the Sun produced a significant display of solar activity, including one of the most intense solar flares ever recorded. The activity produced by the Sun during this period originated from large and complex sunspot groups. Major solar flare activity was often accompanied by fast Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and strong energetic particle events. The arrival of transient solar wind from Earthdirected CMEs produced extreme geomagnetic storming. Common effects of these space weather phenomena included prolonged high-frequency (HF) communication outages, fluctuations in power transmission systems, and minor to severe impacts on space satellite systems. This technical memorandum outlines the activity observed on the surface of the Sun, the resultant effects in the nearEarth space environment, and the impacts to human-made systems in orbit and on Earth
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