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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
SPACE WEATHER
Current conditions
Solar wind
speed: 356.1 km/sec
density: 5.6 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2344 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B2
1830 UT Jan16
24-hr: B3
1240 UT Jan16
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2340 UT
Daily Sun: 16 Jan. 10
Sunspot 1040 is a member of new Solar Cycle 24. Image credit: SOHO/MDI
Sunspot number: 26
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 15 Jan 2010

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2010 total: 1 day (7%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 772 days
Typical Solar Min: 485 days
explanation | more info
Updated 15 Jan 2010


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 85 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 15 Jan 2010

Far side of the Sun:
This holographic image reveals no sunspots on the far side of the sun. Image credit: SOHO/MDI
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 0
quiet
explanation | more data
Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 2.3 nT
Bz: 0.2 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2346 UT
Coronal Holes:
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on or about Jan. 19th. Credit: SOHO Extreme UV Telescope
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2010 Jan 16 2201 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
10 %
10 %
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: 2010 Jan 16 2201 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
05 %
10 %
MINOR
01 %
05 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
05 %
20 %
MINOR
01 %
10 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
What's up in Space
January 16, 2010

SATELLITE FLYBYS APP: Turn your iPhone or iPod into a field-tested satellite tracker! Spaceweather.com presents the Satellite Flybys app.

 

GIANT MYSTERY, SOLVED? Last year, when NASA's IBEX spacecraft discovered a giant ribbon at the edge of the solar system, researchers were mystified. They called it a "shocking result" and puzzled over its origin. Now the mystery may have been solved. Get the full story from Science@NASA.

ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE: Yesterday, the Moon passed in front of the sun, producing a spectacular "ring of fire" eclipse visible from the Indian Ocean and surrounding lands. In Manila, James Kevin Ty caught the eclipse in its partial phase:

"The low-hanging sun was dim and I didn't need any special filter to photograph it using my Canon 350D," says Ty. "In the foreground, a young couple sat together in a boat enjoying the romantic view."

Indeed, it was a lovely eclipse. Browse the just-updated gallery for more examples:

UPDATED: Solar Eclipse Photo Gallery
[World Map of Eclipse Sightings]

NORTHERN LIGHTS: The solar wind is gently buffeting Earth's magnetic field and this is causing auroras around the Arctic Circle. This is how the sky looked on Jan. 15th over Kvaløya, Norway:

"The auroras were beautiful [last night]," says Fedrik Broms, who took the picture using his Nikon D3. "They were not in the mood for dancing, but they were intense. At times, the strong green light made the ice glow green too."

The display could intensify even more on Jan. 18th and 19th. That's when a solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole is expected to reach Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for Northern Lights.

UPDATED: January Northern Lights Gallery
[previous Januarys: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2001]

       
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 January 16, 2010 there were 1092 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Jan. 2010 Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2010 AL2
Jan. 11
11.5 LD
20
23 m
24761 Ahau
Jan. 11
70.8 LD
16
1.4 km
2000 YH66
Jan. 12
69.5 LD
17
1.1 km
2010 AL30
Jan. 13
0.3 LD
14
18 m
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 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 and Heliospheric Observatory
  Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO.
STEREO
  3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory
Daily Sunspot Summaries
  from the NOAA Space Environment Center
Current Solar Images
  from the National Solar Data Analysis Center
Science Central
   
  more links...
   
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