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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 351.1 km/sec
density: 3.3 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2346 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1
1755 UT Feb12
24-hr: C1
1755 UT Feb12
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2300 UT
Daily Sun: 12 Feb 13
None of these sunspots is actively flaring. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 60
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 12 Feb 2013

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days

Update
12 Feb 2013

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 105 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 12 Feb 2013

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 3.3 nT
Bz: 2.6 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2347 UT
Coronal Holes: 11 Feb 13
Solar wind flowing from this coronal holes could brush against Earth's magnetic field on Feb. 12. Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2013 Feb 12 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
05 %
05 %
CLASS X
01 %
01 %
Geomagnetic Storms:
Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm
Updated at: 2013 Feb 12 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
05 %
05 %
MINOR
01 %
01 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
15 %
15 %
MINOR
15 %
15 %
SEVERE
10 %
10 %
 
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013
What's up in space
 

Hang the Transit of Venus on your wall! Hubble-quality images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory are now available as metallic posters in the Space Weather Store.

 
Venus Transit metal posters

SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS: NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% of polar geomagnetic storms on Feb. 12th when a solar wind stream is expected to brush against Earth's magnetic field. Debris from a magnetic filament that erupted on the sun a few days ago might also arrive, further boosting the odds of auroras around the Arctic Circle. Aurora alerts: text, voice.

GREATEST JOB IN THE WORLD? Chad Blakley insists he has "the greatest job in the world." He might be right. Blakely is an aurora tour guide in Sweden's Abisko National Park, and here is a sample of what he showed to his customers last night, Feb. 11th:

"We were all VERY impressed," says Blakley. "A large green band showed up around 8:00 PM and developed into curtains, spirals, coronas and quickly moving streams of light. I can honestly say that tonight was the best night of 2013. On nights like this I feel like I have the best job in the world!"

Moreover, he says, "it seems like the next few nights may be even better." He might be right about that, too. A solar wind stream is expected to brush against Earth's magnetic field on Feb. 12-13, possibly energizing more lights over Abisko. Aurora alerts: text, voice.

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

SUNDOGS: How many dogs can you count in this picture? Hint: Don't forget the sundogs. Scroll down past the sled for a total:

Answer: Six, four huskies plus two parhelia--a.k.a. "sundogs." They are bright splashes of light to the left and right of the sun caused by sunlight shining through ice crystals in the air.

"They appeared to result from snowmobiles and dogs kicking snowdust up into the Artic air," says Ian Collins, who took the picture on February 9, 2013 from Jukkasjarvi, Sweden.

With northern winter entering its coldest, snow-dustiest phase, now is a great time to be alert for the phenomenon. The Iditarod is coming in March. Can you say photo-op?

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery


Realtime Comet Photo Gallery


Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery


Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
[previous years: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011]

  Near Earth Asteroids
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time.
On February 12, 2013 there were potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Size
2013 CY32
Feb 5
0.3 LD
10 m
1999 HA2
Feb 5
58 LD
1.3 km
2013 BA74
Feb 6
4.5 LD
35 m
2013 BS45
Feb 12
4.9 LD
29 m
3752 Camillo
Feb 12
57.5 LD
3.4 km
2013 BV15
Feb 13
3.7 LD
60 m
1999 YK5
Feb 15
49.1 LD
2.1 km
2012 DA14
Feb 15
0.09 LD
65 m
2013 CE82
Feb 17
4.6 LD
44 m
2009 AV
Feb 25
59.7 LD
1.0 km
2007 EO88
Mar 18
4.4 LD
23 m
1993 UC
Mar 20
49 LD
3.8 km
1997 AP10
Mar 28
45.9 LD
1.8 km
2010 GM23
Apr 13
3.9 LD
50 m
2005 NZ6
Apr 29
24.9 LD
1.3 km
2001 DQ8
Apr 30
74.3 LD
1.1 km
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach.
  Essential web links
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
  The official U.S. government space weather bureau
Atmospheric Optics
  The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena.
Solar Dynamics Observatory
  Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever.
STEREO
  3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
  Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO.
Daily Sunspot Summaries
  from the NOAA Space Environment Center
Heliophysics
  the underlying science of space weather
Space Weather Alerts
   
  more links...
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