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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 360.6 km/sec
density: 10.6 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2346 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M1
1940 UT Mar23
24-hr: M1
1940 UT Mar23
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2300 UT
Daily Sun: 23 Mar 12
None of these sunspots are actively flaring. Solar activity is low. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 86
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 22 Mar 2012

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
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

Updated 22 Mar 2012


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 102 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 22 Mar 2012

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.5 nT
Bz: 0.7 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2347 UT
Coronal Holes: 23 Mar 12
There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2012 Mar 23 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
35 %
35 %
CLASS X
05 %
05 %
Geomagnetic Storms:
Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm
Updated at: 2012 Mar 23 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
05 %
05 %
 
Friday, Mar. 23, 2012
What's up in space
 

Metallic photos of the sun by renowned photographer Greg Piepol bring together the best of art and science. Buy one or a whole set. They make a stellar gift.

 
Metallic pictures of the Sun

SOLAR STORM HEATS UP EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE: A flurry of solar activity in early March dumped enough heat in Earth's upper atmosphere to power every residence in New York City for two years. The heat has since dissipated, but there's more to come as the solar cycle intensifies. [full story] [video]

SUNSET SKY SHOW, AGAIN: A month ago, Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon aligned beautifully for evening sky watchers around the world. It's about to happen again. On March 24th, 25th and 26th, the trio will appear side by side in the western sky at sunset. Observing tip: Catch them before the sky fades completely black. These bright objects are extra-beautiful when they are framed by twilight blue. Sky maps: March 24, 25, 26.

Looking for something to do while you're waiting for the Moon to arrive? Try juggling:

"Thanks to my girlfriend for helping me me create these planet action shots on March 22nd," says photographer Kiss Csongor of Derecske, Hungary.

more images: from Danny Ratcliffe of Scarborough, Queensland, Australia; from Johnathan A. Esper of Lake Durant, Adirondack Park, New York; from Petr Horálek of Ústupky, Seč reservoir, Czech republic; from Ahmed Al Ali of Sharjah Desert Park, United Arab Emirates; from Veerayen of Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia; from Jean-Baptiste Feldmann of France; from John Stetson of Sebago Lake, Maine

SPRING GREEN: Northern Lights continue to flicker around the Arctic Circle despite waning solar wind speeds. What's keeping them going? Answer: It's springtime. For reasons that are still not fully understood, equinoxes favor auroras. Nenne Åman photographed this splash of Spring-green over Arjeplog, Northern Sweden on March 22nd:

"The sky went all green for a few minutes," says Åman. "It was very beautiful and a nice goodbye gift for some friends who were visiting us from Italy!"

NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on March 23nd. Considering the season, however, a full-fledged storm might not be necessary. Stay tuned for auroras. Aurora alerts: text, phone.

more images: from B.Art Braafhart of Salla, Finnish Lapland; from Rob Stammes of Laukvik, Lofoten, Norway


February 2012 Aurora Gallery
[previous Februaries: 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002]

  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 March 23, 2012 there were 1287 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2012 EO8
Mar 21
3.6 LD
--
58 m
2012 EK5
Mar 22
5.8 LD
--
34 m
2012 EG5
Apr 1
0.6 LD
--
62 m
1996 SK
Apr 18
67.2 LD
--
1.6 km
2007 HV4
Apr 19
4.8 LD
--
8 m
2011 WV134
Apr 28
38.6 LD
--
1.6 km
1992 JD
May 2
9.5 LD
--
43 m
2010 KK37
May 19
2.3 LD
--
31 m
4183 Cuno
May 20
47.4 LD
--
5.7 km
2002 VX94
May 26
72.8 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
Trade Show Displays
   
  more links...
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