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Solar wind
speed: 539.7 km/sec
density: 3.1 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2349 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B1
1747 UT Aug16
24-hr: B2
0642 UT Aug16
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2300 UT
Daily Sun: 16 Aug 15
Neither of these sunspots poses a threat for strong solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI

Sunspot number: 33
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 16 Aug 2015

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2015 total: 0 days (0%)

2014 total: 1 day (<1%)
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%)

Updated 16 Aug 2015


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 93 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 16 Aug 2015

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/Ovation
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 4 unsettled
24-hr max: Kp= 6
storm
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.5 nT
Bz: 5.5 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2349 UT
Coronal Holes: 15 Aug 15

Solar wind flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth on Aug. 16-17. Credit: SDO/AIA.
Noctilucent Clouds The northern season for NLCs is underway. NASA's AIM spacecraft spotted the first noctilucent clouds over the Arctic Circle on May 19th.
Switch view: Europe, USA, Asia, Polar
Updated at: 08-16-2015 16:55:05
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2015 Aug 16 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
01 %
01 %
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: 2015 Aug 16 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
40 %
30 %
MINOR
25 %
10 %
SEVERE
05 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
10 %
15 %
MINOR
25 %
30 %
SEVERE
60 %
40 %
 
Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015
What's up in space
 

Learn to photograph Northern Lights like a pro. Sign up for Peter Rosen's Aurora Photo Courses in Abisko National Park, winner of the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award 2015.

 
Lapland tours

(ALMOST NO) CHANCE OF FLARES: There are only two small sunspots on the Earth-facing side of the sun, and neither one has the type of unstable magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a scant 1% chance of M- or X-type solar flares on Aug. 16th. Solar flare alerts: text or voice

WEEKEND GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Arriving a full day earlier than expected, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on August 15th (~0800 UT). The impact triggered a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm and bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. South-pointing magnetic fields in the wake of the CME have kept the storm going, at lower levels, for more than 24 hours. Christian Begeman sends this picture, taken during the early hours of Aug. 16th, from Pickerel Lake, South Dakota:

"I was lucky enough to catch this display over the Zoar Church just before some storm clouds rolled in and obstructed my view," says Begeman.

NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% to 60% chance of continued intermittent storms on Aug. 16-17. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. The hours around local midnight are usually the best time to look. Aurora alerts: text or voice

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

SPRITES AT THE EDGE OF SPACE: We all know what comes out of the bottom of thunderclouds: lightning. But rarely do we see what comes out of the top. On August 10th, astronauts onboard the International Space Station were perfectly positioned to observe red sprites dancing atop a cluster of storms in Mexico. They snapped this incredible photo:

This shows just how high sprites can go. The photo shows their red forms reaching all the way from the thunderstorm below to a layer of green airglow some 100 km above Earth's surface. This means sprites touch the edge of space, alongside auroras, meteors and noctilucent clouds. They are a true space weather phenomenon.

Although sprites have been seen for at least a century, most scientists did not believe they existed until after 1989 when sprites were photographed by cameras onboard the space shuttle. Now "sprite chasers" regularly photograph the upward bolts from their own homes. Give it a try!

Realtime Sprite Photo Gallery

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AT THE EDGE OF SPACE: Photographer Annika Ebbinghaus turned 30 today, Aug. 15th--and what better way to celebrate than with an Edge of Space Birthday Card? Here she is 111,000 feet above Earth's surface:

"Happy birthday Annika!" says her mother, Adelheid Ebbinghaus, who made a generous donation to Earth to Sky Calculus to fly the card. "You are my sunshine…, and I love you so much!" Annika is starting a new career as a photographer (heavenlyphotography@web.de). She is starting at the top!


Realtime Venus Photo Gallery


Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery


Realtime NLC Photo Gallery

  All Sky Fireball Network

Every night, a network of NASA all-sky cameras scans the skies above the United States for meteoritic fireballs. Automated software maintained by NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office calculates their orbits, velocity, penetration depth in Earth's atmosphere and many other characteristics. Daily results are presented here on Spaceweather.com.

On Aug. 16, 2015, the network reported 54 fireballs.
(40 sporadics, 12 Perseids, 1 Southern iota Aquariid, 1 Southern delta Aquariid)

In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]

  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 August 16, 2015 there were potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Size
2005 JF21
Aug 16
20.1 LD
1.6 km
2015 PT227
Aug 29
9.7 LD
73 m
2004 BO41
Aug 31
57.3 LD
1.2 km
1991 CS
Sep 4
62.1 LD
1.4 km
2014 KS76
Sep 14
8.7 LD
22 m
2004 TR12
Sep 15
58.8 LD
1.0 km
2000 FL10
Oct 10
65.7 LD
1.9 km
2011 QD48
Oct 17
67.5 LD
1.0 km
2014 UR
Oct 18
3.8 LD
21 m
2011 SE97
Oct 18
12 LD
50 m
2001 UY4
Oct 21
58.2 LD
1.0 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
Columbia Northern High School
  Web-based high school science course with free enrollment
  more links...
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