The pioneering space experiences will be the ultimate voyage to encounter new planets around distant stars. Theirs will be the journey into the extraordinary. On distant planets are incandescent storms big enough to swallow the earth. Bolts of lightning thousands of miles long. Raging infernos of toxic gas. Inconceivable violence and terrifying extremes. These are the planets from hell.
The most powerful flare to date - Solar Maximum does not disappoint.
Best viewed with window expanded
Update from yesterdays class X1.7 and class X2.8 coronal ejection.
All other visible sunspot regions appear to be stable at this time. There will remain a chance for moderate M-Class solar flares and perhaps another isolated X-Class event within the next 24-48 hours, particularly around Sunspot 11748.
Best viewed with window expanded
Solar activity is now at moderate levels thanks to an isolated M1.1 Solar Flare around Sunspot 1731 in the northern hemisphere. A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is visible in the latest STEREO Ahead COR2 imagery. It appears that a majority of the plasma cloud was directed north of the Sun-Earth field.
Auroras this weekend.
Best viewed with screen expanded.
A moderate solar flare reaching M1.0 was observed around Sunspot 1726 at 10:29 UTC this morning. The blast itself was impulsive in nature and a large Coronal Mass Ejection is not expected. This region maintains a fairly impressive magnetic structure, especially within the trailing spot cluster and has the potential for an even stronger event.
Also watch the froth of the magnetized, radioactive sea sunspot AR11726 bubble
Best viewed with window expanded.
The lights dimmed. Something I take so naturally in stride over the years and just smile to myself when these events occur, the Geomagnetic Storm. Ground based magnetometers detected a geomagnetic sudden impulse measuring 29 nT at 22:57 UTC and this signals the passage of an expected Coronal Mass Ejection passed our planet. The ACE spacecraft initially detected a solar wind increase to near 500 km/s at 22:20 UTC.
We might say hmmmm that's not very strong, well it isn't over yet we have until the 15th inclusive to measure the strength of the plasma cloud impacting our geomagnetosphere. (This is basically a continuation from yesterday with its updates)
Enjoy ;)
Best viewed with window expanded
The strongest solar flare in quite some time took place within the past couple of hours around Sunspot 1719. The moderately strong event measuring M6.5 took place at 07:16 UTC. A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is now visible in the latest STEREO Ahead and STEREO Behind COR2 imagery. Because 1719 is now squarely facing Earth, the plasma should be directed this way. This will raise the chances of geomagnetic storming by this weekend.
Update
Geomagnetic Storm Watch
The Geomagnetic Field is currently at quiet levels. Things should change drastically heading into the weekend. A Geomagnetic Storm watch has been issued by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center for early on April 13th as a Coronal Mass Ejection is expected to sweep past Earth. Moderate G2 Level with a chance for Strong G3 Level Storming will be possible at high latitudes. Sky Watchers should be alert for visible aurora once the cloud arrives.
Best viewed with window expanded.
Special display of southern region filament release and falling back into the sun.
Solar activity is currently at low levels. Only minor C-Class flares have been detected within the past 24 hours, with most of the activity surrounding Sunspots 1714, 1718 and 1719. Sunspot 1718 now has a Beta-Gamma magnetic configuration, but has shown some sunspot separation within the past 12 hours. There will remain a chance for C-Class solar flares and perhaps another isolated M-Class event.
Best viewed with window expanded
GEOMAGNETIC STORM UNDERWAY: A minor (Kp=5) geomagnetic storm is underway around the poles as a medium-speed solar wind stream buffets Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras
The sun seemed to be flatlining right after St.Patrick's Day, but not all is as it seems -- is it.
In fact she had been having a private party all by herself "on the other side" or so she thought. STEREO A & B were on to her right from the get go.
More at http://trudi-tmw.blogspot.ca/2013/03/...
Be sure to read the story and enjoy the aurora borealis.
Best viewed with window expanded.
SOLAR ACTIVITY INCREASES: Both sides of the sun are active today. On the farside, an explosion around 0400 UT hurled a massive CME into space. On the Earthside, sunspot AR1686 unleashed an M1-class solar flare at 0754 UT. Stay tuned for updates.
New sunspot AR1678 has developed a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 45% chance of M-flares and a 15% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours.
New sunspot AR1675 has unleashed the most intense flare of the year so far, an M1.9-class explosion at 1550 UT on Feb. 17th. First-look coronagraph images from SOHO and the twin STEREO probes suggest that this explosion did not produce a coronal mass ejection (CME). Geomagnetic storms are therefore unlikely. Earth's upper atmosphere, however, probably did experience a minor wave of ionization caused by the UV flash.
