You are viewing the page for Jun. 7, 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: 338.3 km/sec
density: 10.2 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2246 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B8
1715 UT Jun07
24-hr: C2
0645 UT Jun07
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2245 UT
Daily Sun: 07 June 07
Sunspot 960 has a "beta-gamma" magnetic field strong M-class solar flares. Credit: SOHO/MDI
Sunspot number: 47
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 05 June 2007
Far side of the Sun:
This holographic image reveals one sunspot on the farside of the sun. Image credit: SOHO/MDI
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2
quiet
explanation | more data
Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Updated: 2007 Jun 07 2058 UT
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.8 nT
Bz: 3.3 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated:Today at 2247 UT
Coronal Holes:
There are no coronal holes on the Earth-facing side of the sun. Credit: SOHO Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2007 Jun 07 2203 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
30 %
30 %
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: 2007 Jun 07 2203 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
15 %
15 %
MINOR
10 %
10 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
20 %
20 %
MINOR
10 %
10 %
SEVERE
05 %
05 %
What's up in Space
June 7, 2007
Would you like to hear about solar flares--while they're flaring? Get instant alerts from SpaceWeather PHONE.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Today, June 7th, the planet Jupiter is at its closest to Earth for all of 2007. This makes it remarkably big (46") and bright (mag. -2.5). A backyard telescope should easily reveal Jupiter's cloud belts, its four largest moons, and an unmistakable bulge around Jupiter's middle caused by the planet's rapid 10-hr spin. Look due south at midnight: sky map.

NLC ATTACK: Last night, a wide expanse of electric-blue noctilucent clouds (NLCs) appeared over Europe. "It was a beautiful display," says Martin McKenna of Maghera, N.Ireland. "Wonderful twisting bands and waves were begging for attention." Paul Evans of Larne, N. Ireland, snapped this picture:


Photo details: Minolta Dynax 5D, 50mm lens, 5 secs, f2.8, ISO 200

Noctilucent clouds are a mystery. They were first reported in the 19th century after the eruption of super-volcano Krakatoa. In those days the clouds were confined mainly to high latitudes, but they have intensified and spread with sightings in recent years as far south as Colorado and Utah. What causes NLCs? A NASA spacecraft named AIM is in orbit right now on a mission to find out.

One thing is known: Summer is the season for NLCs. Sky watchers in Europe have seen hints of NLC activity in recent weeks, but "this is the finest display so far," says Evans. The cloud was approximately 25o high x 100o wide." Consider it official: NLC season has begun.

Observing tips and photo gallery
[night-sky cameras] [NLCs--the song!]

THE SUN IN MOTION: Yesterday, Gary Palmer was photographing sunspot 960 when "plasma began to flow outward around the spot--and then it exploded!" He captured the dramatic C9-class solar flare in action:


Click to view the full-sized movie: 7 MB

Although sunspot 960 is decaying, it poses a continued threat for strong flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 10% chance of an X-flare--10+ times as powerful as the one pictured above--during the next 24 hours. Astronomers with solar telescopes should maintain their watch on this active region.

more images: from Pete Lawrence of Selsey, UK; from Peter Paice of Belfast, Northern Ireland; from B. Morrissette and J. Stetson of South Portland, Maine; from Günter Kleinschuster of Styria, Austria; from Patrick Bornet of Saint Martin sur Nohain, Nièvre, France; from Alcaria Rego of Almada, Portugal; from Guilherme Grassmann of São Paulo, Brasil.

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 June 7, 2007 there were 864 potentially hazardous asteroids.
June-July 2007 Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2005 AD13
June 18
33 LD
16
1.2 km
2007 FV42
July 2
53 LD
15
1.2 km
2007 DT103
July 29
9.3 LD
15
550 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 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.
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.