#X-ray #SolarFlares
6-hr max: M3 1323 UT May09
24-hr: X2 0913 UT May09
there are now at least 4 storm clouds heading our way. See how many you can count in this 24-hour movie from the #Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
#sun
the first CME will reach Earth late on May 10th. Additional CMEs will arrive on May 11th and possibly 12th. Minor to strong geomagnetic storms could occur on all three days,
https://spaceweather.com/
#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: #X4 0635 UT May06
24-hr: X4 0635 UT May06
A #CME expected to hit #Earth on May 5th appears to have arrived right on time. Solar wind data suggest a close encounter around 1800 UT in good accord with NASA and NOAA predictions. The resulting G1-class geomagnetic storm sparked mid-latitude auroras in Europe:
" #Auroras surprisingly appeared here in the Czech Republic at latitude +50 N," reports photographer Petr Horálek at the Institute of Physics in Opava. "They were visible to the naked eye despite the cirrus clouds."
This might not have been a direct hit. Normally, on-target CMEs produce a sharp discontinuity in the speed of solar wind blowing around our planet. Not this time. Instead, a gentle ripple of south-pointing magnetism washed over the Earth for several hours--typical of near-miss CMEs that catch us in their wake.
More CMEs may be on the way. Yesterday's flurry of X- and M-class solar flares from hyperactive sunspot AR3663 probably hurled some debris toward Earth. Confirmation awaits overdue coronagraph data from SOHO
#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: X1 1548 UT Feb11
A DANGEROUS SUNSPOT: Sunspot AR3217 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for X-class solar flares. Indeed, it just unleashed one (see below). The sunspot is turning toward Earth so any flares this weekend are likely to be geoeffective.
SOLAR #FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT: Earth-orbiting satellites have just detected an X1.1-class solar flare from sunspot AR3217 (Feb. 11th @ 1548 UTC). Extreme #UV #radiation ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing a strong shortwave radio blackout over South America
#Comet ZTF is approaching the ecliptic and is now near #Mars," says Jaeger. On. Saturday night they will be less than 1 degree apart.
The two celestial bodies are a study in contrast. Mars is red (due to rust in the planet's regolith). Comet ZTF is green (due to diatomic carbon in its atmosphere). Mars is 100 times brighter and easy to see with the unaided eye. Comet ZTF is nearly invisible.
https://spaceweather.com/
#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: M3 1015 UT Jan13
#COMET ZTF AT #PERIHELION: Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) hasn't been this hot in 50,000 years. On Jan. 12th, the comet made its closest approach to the sun (perihelion) only 1.1 AU away. Solar heat has turned it into an easy target for backyard telescopes:
Amateur astrnomer Michael Jaeger took the picture yesterday from his backyard observatory in Weißenkirchen Wachau, Austria. "The comet's narrow ion tail extends far beyond the edge of the image," he says. "Take a look."
Discovered in March 2022 by the Zwicky Transient Facility, Comet ZTF has been falling toward the sun for more than 50,000 years. Now is its moment to shine. Proximity to the sun has brightened the comet to magnitude 6.5, almost visible to the unaided eye.
Soon, strike "almost." After perihelion, Comet ZTF heads toward Earth for a close approach on Feb. 1st (0.28 AU). This will brighten the comet even more to a projected peak magnitude of +5, visible to the naked eye, binoculars, and small telescopes. Between now and then, look for Comet ZTF before sunrise in the constellation #Corona #Borealis
felt this one
#X-ray #SolarFlares
6-hr max: M1 0721 UT Dec01
#SUNSPOT #ALERT: A new sunspot is emerging over the sun's southeastern limb, and it appears to be a big one. Got a solar telescope? Point your optics here.
#MARS CLOSEST APPROACH TO #EARTH: Today, Mars makes its closest approach to Earth for all of 2022. Look east after sunset. The planet is shining brightly in the constellation Taurus; its rusty-red color is unmistakable: sky map.
Although today is the date of closest approach, the real show happens one week from today. On Dec. 7-8, there's going to be a beautiful lunar occultation of Mars:
#CMES ARE COMING: NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of G2-class geomagnetic storms on Oct. 4th when multiple CMEs might sideswipe Earth's magnetic field. Most of the incoming CMEs were hurled into space by sunspot AR3110, which unleashed a series of strong flares (M5.9, M8.7, X1) over the weekend. During G2-class storms, naked-eye auroras can descend into the United States as low as New York and Idaho
#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: M2 0233 UT Oct03
24-hr: X1 2025 UT Oct02
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0755 UT
OUTHERN HEMISPHERE ANALEMMA: If you took a picture of the sun at the same time each day, would it remain in the same position? The answer is no, and the figure-8 shape traced out by the sun over the course of a year is called an analemma. Ian Griffin photographed this one from Portobello, New Zealand:
"I've been taking a picture of the sun every day for the past year using a pinhole camera attached to my deck," explains Griffin. "Each little solar disk is a 20-second exposure at 4pm (5pm in summer). At the equinoxes and winter solstice I left the shutter open longer to record the motion of the sun. I developed the image in my darkroom and this is a scan of the resulting glass plate."
The upper and lower tips of the "8" represent the solstices--the longest and shortest days of the year. Today the New Zealand sun is near the middle--a sign that Southern spring is approaching on Sept. 23rd.
"Compared to northern hemisphere analemmas, our loops are inverted!" notes Griffin.
Other planets have analemmas, too. Not all are figure-8s, however. The shape depends on the tilt of the planet's spin axis and the eccentricity of its orbit around the sun. Martian analemmas resemble a teardrop, while Jupiter's looks like a jelly-bean:
Learn more about alien analemmas from Analemma.com
#X-ray #Solar #Flares
6-hr max: M1 0702 UT Sep21
24-hr: M1 1122 UT Sep20
https://spaceweather.com/
