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Science news and information about the Sun-Earth environment.

SPACE WEATHER
Current
Conditions

Solar Wind

velocity: 516.6 km/s
density:
5.2 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2245 UT

X-ray Solar Flares

6-hr max:
C3 1940 UT May15
24-hr: C9 0300 UT May15
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2245 UT

Daily Sun: 15 May '01
Active regions 9454 and 9455 have beta-gamma magnetic fields that harbor energy for M-class solar flares. AR 9455 unleashed two M3-class flares during the weekend. Image credit: SOHO/MDI

The Far Side of the Sun
This holographic image reveals no substandtial spots on the far side of the Sun. Image credit: SOHO/MDI

Sunspot Number: 149
More about sunspots
Updated: 14 May 2001

Radio Meteor Rate
24 hr max:
54 per hr
Listen to the Meteor Radar!
Updated: 13 May 2001

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.3 nT
Bz:
0.4 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2246 UT

Coronal Holes:

A large coronal hole that crossed the Sun's central meridian last Friday and Saturday sent a high-speed solar wind stream toward Earth. Image credit: Yohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope.
More about coronal holes


SPACE WEATHER
NOAA
Forecasts

Solar Flares: Probabilities for a medium-sized (M-class) or a major (X-class) solar flare during the next 24/48 hours are tabulated below.
Updated at 2001 May 15 2200 UT
FLARE 24 hr 48 hr
CLASS M 40 % 40 %
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 2001 May 15 2200 UT

Mid-latitudes
24 hr 48 hr
ACTIVE 20 % 20 %
MINOR 05 % 05 %
SEVERE 01 % 01 %

High latitudes
24 hr 48 hr
ACTIVE 25 % 25 %
MINOR 10 % 10 %
SEVERE 01 % 01 %



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What's Up in Space -- 15 May 2001
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THE SUNSPOT THAT WOULDN'T DIE: Sunspots are normally short-lived -- rarely do they persist longer than a single 27-day rotation of the Sun. However, sunspot 9393 is an exception. It has already crossed the face of our star twice, in March and April, and now it appears to be back for a third transit. This SOHO extreme ultraviolet image (right) shows a hot spot emerging over the Sun's eastern limb on May 15th just where 9393 ought to be.

The third return of 9393 is rare, but it comes as no surprise. Astronomers using a new technique called helioseismic holography saw the active region just a week ago by peering directly through the Sun! The holographic image, below, shows 9393 crossing the far side of the Sun on May 9th.

Earlier this year, 9393 unleashed the most powerful solar flare ever recorded. At the time it was the largest sunspot of the current solar cycle. Now the behemoth is probably in decay. We'll find out in the days ahead as 9393 rotates into better view.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: On May 12th Earth entered a high-speed solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole on the Sun. Solar wind gusts triggered intermittent geomagnetic disturbances for ~36 hours. Click on the image below for photos and a charming account of aurora chasing across the prairie of North Dakota.

WEB LINKS: NOAA FORECAST | GLOSSARY | SPACE WEATHER TUTORIAL | LESSON PLANS | BECOME A SUBSCRIBER



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 are on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time. [more]

On 15 May 2001 there were 307 known Potentially
Hazardous Asteroids

May 2001 Earth-asteroid encounters
ASTEROID

 DATE (UT)

 MISS DISTANCE
2001 GQ2  2001-Apr-27 12:00

 7.7 LD
2001 FE90  2001-May-06 23:37

 49.7 LD
1999 KW4  2001-May-25 23:31

 12.6 LD
Note: LD is a "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon

  • TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: On Jan. 9, 2001, the full Moon glided through Earth's copper-colored shadow. [gallery]
  • CHRISTMAS ECLIPSE: Sky watchers across North America enjoyed a partial solar eclipse on Christmas Day 2000 [gallery]
  • LEONIDS 2000: Observers around the globe enjoyed three predicted episodes of shooting stars. [gallery]

Feb. 21, 2001: Nature's Tiniest Space Junk -- Using an experimental radar at the Marshall Space Flight Center, scientists are monitoring tiny but hazardous meteoroids that swarm around our planet.

Feb. 15, 2001: The Sun Does a Flip -- NASA scientists who monitor the Sun say our star's enormous magnetic field is reversing -- a sure sign that solar maximum is here.

Jan. 25, 2001: Earth's Invisible Magnetic Tail -- NASA's IMAGE spacecraft, the first to enjoy a global view of the magnetosphere, spotted a curious plasma tail pointing from Earth toward the Sun.

Jan. 4, 2001: Earth at Perihelion -- On January 4, 2001, our planet made its annual closest approach to the Sun.

Dec. 29, 2000: Millennium Meteors -- North Americans will have a front-row seat for a brief but powerful meteor shower on January 3, 2001.

Dec. 28, 2000: Galileo Looks for Auroras on Ganymede -- NASA's durable Galileo spacecraft flew above the solar system's largest moon this morning in search of extraterrestrial "Northern Lights"

Dec. 22, 2000: Watching the Angry Sun -- Solar physicists are enjoying their best-ever look at a Solar Maximum thanks to NOAA and NASA satellites.

MORE SPACE WEATHER HEADLINES

 

 

 

 

 

 
Editor's Note: Space weather forecasts that appear on this site are based in part on data from NASA and NOAA satellites and ground-monitoring stations. Predictions and explanations are formulated by Dr. Tony Phillips; they are not official statements of any government organ or guarantees of space weather activity.

Essential Web Links

NOAA Space Environment 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.

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory -- Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. (European Mirror Site)

Daily Sunspot Summaries -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.

Current Solar Images --a gallery of up-to-date solar pictures from the National Solar Data Analysis Center at the Goddard Space Flight Center.

SOHO Farside Images of the Sun from SWAN and MDI.

The Latest SOHO Coronagraph Images -- from the Naval Research Lab

List of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids -- from the Harvard Minor Planet Center.

Observable Comets -- from the Harvard Minor Planet Center.

What is the Interplanetary Magnetic Field? -- A lucid answer from the University of Michigan.

Real-time Solar Wind Data -- from NASA's ACE spacecraft.

More Real-time Solar Wind Data -- from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Proton Monitor.

Aurora Forecast --from the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute

Daily Solar Flare and Sunspot Data -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.

Lists of Coronal Mass Ejections -- from 1998 to 2001.

NOAA geomagnetic latitude maps: North America, Eurasia, South Africa & Australia, South America

Quarterly Solar Flare and Sunspot Data: January - March 2000 -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.

Quarterly Solar Flare and Sunspot Data: April - June 2000 -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.

Quarterly Solar Flare and Sunspot Data: July - Sept 2000 -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.

Quarterly Solar Flare and Sunspot Data: Oct. - Dec. 2000 -- from the NOAA Space Environment Center.


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