Tag Archives: solar activity

Very Large Sunspot

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BIG SUNSPOT: A sunspot almost four times as wide as Earth itself is rotating onto the solar disk. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded its entrance on March 2nd and 3rd; click to view a 24-hour animation:

The sunspot has a ‘beta-gamma’ magnetic field that harbors energy for strong M-class solar flares. Indeed, it has already unleashed an M3-class eruption on March 2nd that created mild waves of ionization in the atmosphere over Europe.

Earth-effects could become stronger as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the days ahead. NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of additional M-class flares and a 5% chance of an X-flare during the next 24 hours.

fr/spaceweather.com

Solar Activity Gearing Up

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EMERGING SUNSPOT, STRONG FLARE: A big new sunspot is emerging over the sun’s northeastern limb. It announced itself on March 2nd at 1746 UT with anM3-class solar flare. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

Although the blast site was partially eclipsed by the solar limb, the flare nevertheless created waves of ionization in Earth’s upper atmosphere. Dave Gradwell of Birr Ireland detected the effect of these waves on the propagation of low-frequency radio signals across Europe. The explosion also hurled a faint CME over the northeastern limb: SOHO movie. The expanding cloud is not Earth-directed.

NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of additional M-class flares and a 5% chance of an X-flare during the next 24 hours. Solar activity is picking up

from: spaceweather.com

New CME

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fr/spaceweather.com:

CANYON OF FIRE: A magnetic filament snaking over the sun’s northeastern limb rose up and erupted during the early hours of Feb. 24th. The eruption split the sun’s atmosphere creating a “canyon of fire,” shown here in a movie captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory:

The glowing walls of the canyon are formed in a process closely related to that ofarcade loops, which appear after many solar flares. Stretching more than 400,000 km from end to end, the structure traces the original channel where the filament was suspended by magnetic forces above the stellar surface.

As erupting magnetic filaments often do, this one launched a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. The Solar and Heliospheric Observary recorded the expanding cloud

New Sunspot

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RING-SHAPED SUNSPOT: New sunspot AR1413 is emerging in the shape of a ring. This two-day movie from the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sunspot’s geometric development:

Does the magnetic architecture of this unusual spot harbor energy for strong flares? Magnetograms appear to show some mixing of polarities between the left and right halves of the ring, which could lead to explosive instabilities. So far, however, solar activity remains low.

fr/spaceweather.com

Solar Radiation Storm

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RADIATION STORM: Accelerated by Friday’s X-flare, energetic protons from the sun are still swarming around Earth on Jan. 29th. The radiation storm ranks S2 on NOAA scales, which means it is not a severe storm. Nevertheless, it can still affect spacecraft and satellites at the nuisance level. Click on the image for an animated demonstration:

That was a coronagraph image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The many speckles and streaks are energetic protons striking SOHO’s onboard digital camera. Stronger radiation storms (S4 to S5) can fill images like these with “snow,” rendering them useless for normal operations. The current storm will probably subside later today and restore SOHO’s clear view of the sun.

fr/spaceweather.com

CME and Aurora Photo

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JAN. 22ND CME IMPACT: Arriving a little later than expected, a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth’s magnetic field at 0617 UT on Jan. 22nd. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME strongly compressed Earth’s magnetic field and briefly exposed satellites in geosynchronous orbit to solar wind plasma. For the next 24 hours, Earth’s magnetic field reverberated from the impact, stirring bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Bjørn Jørgensen observed this display from Tromsø, Norway:

“This was amazing,” he says. “It was a wonderful experience to see these stunning auroras.”

NOAA forecasters estimate a 10% – 25% chance of continued geomagnetic storms tonight as effects from the CME impact subside. The odds will increase again on Jan. 24-25 as a new CME (from today’s M9-clare) approaches Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for aurorasfr/ spaceweather.com

Latest Solar Activity

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ALMOST-X FLARE AND CME: This morning, Jan. 23rd around 0359 UT, big sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. The explosion’s M9-ranking puts it on the threshold of being an X-flare, the most powerful kind. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the flare’s extreme ultraviolet flash:

The Solar and Heliosphere Observatory (SOHO) and the STEREO-Behind spacecraft have both detected a CME rapidly emerging from the blast site. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab estimate a velocity of 2200 km. There is little doubt that the cloud is heading in the general direction of Earth. A preliminary inspection of SOHO/STEREO imagery suggests that the CME will deliver a strong glancing blow to Earth’s magnetic field on Jan. 24-25 as it sails mostly north of our planet.

fr/spaceweather.com