You are viewing the page for Nov. 28, 2007
  Select another date:
<<back forward>>
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
SPACE WEATHER
Current conditions
Solar wind
speed: 419.7 km/sec
density: 1.1 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2238 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: A0
2245 UT Nov28
24-hr: A0
2245 UT Nov28
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2245 UT
Daily Sun: 27 Nov 07
The sun is blank--no sunspots. Credit: SOHO/MDI
Sunspot number: 0
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 27 Nov 2007
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= 2
quiet
explanation | more data
Current Auroral Oval:

Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Updated:
What is the auroral oval?
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 2.9 nT
Bz: 1.2 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2239 UT
Coronal Holes:
There are no large coronal holes on the Earth-facing side of the sun today. Credit: Hinode X-ray Telescope
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2007 Nov 28 2204 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: 2007 Nov 28 2204 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
10 %
10 %
MINOR
05 %
05 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %

What's up in Space
November 28, 2007
Where's Saturn? Is that a UFO--or the ISS? What's the name of that star? Get the answers from mySKY--a fun new astronomy helper from Meade.

PROMINENCE ALERT: If you have a sun-filtered telescope, take a look at this morning's sun. Spaceweather reader Stephen Ames reports a "large and interesting prominence on the southeastern limb."

images: from Greg Piepol of Rockville, Maryland; from J. Fairfull, C. Mullen and John Stetson of South Portland, Maine.

FORGOTTEN PLANET: Barely a month ago, the King of Planets ruled the evening sky. Now Jupiter is plunging into the glare of the sun, out of sight and forgotten by most sky watchers. A quick exposure with a digital camera, however, reveals that it is still there:

"This 15-second guided photo of Jupiter with its four Galilean satellites was taken at 5:46 p.m on November 23rd," says Gary A. Becker of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. He used a Canon D40 to capture the planet and its moons shining right through evening twilight.

If you wish to try this trick yourself, don't wait. Jupiter is making a beeline for the sun and soon it will genuinely vanish. Only SOHO and STEREO, spacecraft with sun-blocking coronagraphs, will be able to see Jupiter swing around the sun next month. A special date is Dec. 20th when Jupiter, Mercury and the sun form a tight triangle in the noontime sky. Mark your calendar and join SOHO for a ringside seat.

GOLDEN BEACON: The sun was setting in Toronto last week when, suddenly, a golden beacon leaped up from the horizon. "It lasted a good 15 minutes," reports Damir who took this picture:

The "beacon" is a sun pillar created by plate-shaped ice crystals fluttering down from high cold clouds. Flat sides of the crystals catch the rays of the setting sun and bend them into a tall luminous column as shown. Look for sun pillars when the sun is near the horizon and shining through high clouds--they're a nice addition to any autumn sunset.

more images: from Chad Boetger of Flandreau, South Dakota; from Howard Herscovitch of Toronto, Ontario; from Leo Van Hoyweghen of Barjac (South of France); from Pierre Baillargeon of Roberval, Quebec, Canada;


Comet 17P/Holmes Photo Gallery
[Interactive World Map of Comet Photos]
[sky map] [ephemeris] [3D orbit] [Night Sky Cameras]

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 November 28, 2007 there were 907 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Nov. 2007 Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2005 GL
Nov. 8
8.0 LD
16
280 m
2007 VA3
Nov. 11
7.0 LD
19
30 m
2007 UL12
Nov. 12
18.4 LD
17
325 m
1989 UR
Nov. 24
27.6 LD
15
880 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 bureau for real-time monitoring of solar and geophysical events, research in solar-terrestrial physics, and forecasting solar and geophysical disturbances.
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.
Daily Sunspot Summaries
  From the NOAA Space Environment Center
Current Solar Images
  from the National Solar Data Analysis Center
  more links...
©2007, SpaceWeather.com -- This site is penned daily by Dr. Tony Phillips.
©2019 Spaceweather.com. All rights reserved.