 | | Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica Credit: NOAA/Ovation Planetary K-index Now: Kp= 3.33 quiet 24-hr max: Kp= 3.33 quiet explanation | more data Interplanetary Mag. Field Btotal: 7.14 nT Bz: -3.76 nT south more data: ACE, DSCOVR Updated: Today at 1152 UT Coronal Holes: 03 Nov 24  There are no significant equatorial coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA Polar Stratospheric Clouds Colorful Type II polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) form when the temperature in the stratosphere drops to a staggeringly low -85C. NASA's MERRA-2 climate model predicts when the air up there is cold enough:  On Nov. 03, 2024, the Arctic stratosphere is cooling but still too warm for Type II polar stratospheric clouds. | more data. Noctilucent Clouds The northern season for NLCs is underway--but not for long. The first clouds were detected inside the Arctic Circle on May 25, 2024, by the NOAA 21 satellite. After peaking in July, the clouds are now in rapid decline. This is typical for the month of August, which usually brings the end of NLC season in the northern hemisphere.  Updated: Aug. 28, 2024 An instrument onboard NOAA 21 (OMPS LP) is able to detect NLCs (also known as "polar mesospheric clouds" or PMCs). In the daily map, above, each dot is a detected cloud. As the season progresses, these dots will multiply in number and shift in hue from blue to red as the brightness of the clouds intensifies. SPACE WEATHER NOAA Forecasts | | Updated at: 2024 Nov 03 2200 UTC FLARE | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | CLASS M | 75 % | 65 % | CLASS X | 30 % | 20 % | Geomagnetic Storms: Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm Updated at: 2024 Nov 03 2200 UTC Mid-latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 30 % | 15 % | MINOR | 15 % | 05 % | SEVERE | 01 % | 01 % | High latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 15 % | 15 % | MINOR | 30 % | 25 % | SEVERE | 45 % | 25 % | | | |  | | | | | | | | This is an AI Free Zone! Text created by Large Language Models is spreading rapidly across the Internet. It's well-written, artificial, frequently inaccurate. If you find a mistake on Spaceweather.com, rest assured it was made by a real human being. | | | THE HALLOWEEN FIREBALLS--CONTINUED: Have you seen a bright meteor recently? It was probably a Taurid--also known as a "Halloween Fireball." The annual Taurid meteor shower lasts from late October through mid-November. Most often seen on Halloween (because so many people are outside), Taurid meteors are debris from Comet Encke. Look for them spraying out of the constellation Taurus after sunset. [More] UNEXPECTED SOUTHERN LIGHTS: This was not in the forecast. Last night, a crack opened in Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind flowed through the gap and sparked a display of auroras in the southern hemisphere. Ian Griffin sends this picture from Mount John Observatory in New Zealand:  "Strolling outside as my cameras snapped away on the telescope, I was delighted to see a lovely brightness in the southern sky," says Griffin. "It turned out to be a lovely and somewhat unexpected display of the Aurora Australis. The display was full of reds and yellows, and persisted for most of the night after midnight." The same crack may have been responsible for a dramatic display seen hours earlier in Norway. Such "cracks" are opened by south-pointing magnetic fields in the solar wind, which cancel Earth's north-pointing field to create portals for the solar wind. Here are the data. Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter LIFTOFF OF A GREAT PROMINENCE: On Oct. 29th, the biggest, greatest, most dramatic prominence of the current solar cycle lifted off the surface of the sun. Amateur astronomer Michael Karrer was watching, and he recorded a high-resolution movie of the liftoff:  "Unfortunately, I had to stop shooting before the prominence fully unfurled because of an important meeting," says Karrer. Consolation prize: "Here is a very high-resolution frame." Two days later, the edge of this prominence reached Earth, grazing our planet's magnetic field and spooking sky watchers in Norway. In case you missed it, the solar cycle is less than half over, so it will probably happen again. Stay tuned! Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter THE GEOMAGNETIC MOONCAT: This cat has experienced a geomagnetic storm. Multiple CMEs hit Earth's magnetic field during the weekend of August 10-11. Students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon into the resulting severe geomagnetic storm. The Geomagnetic Mooncat went along for the ride:  You can have it for $199.95. Supported by a sterling silver frame, the black cat is curled around a genuine blue moonstone. It floated through the stratosphere for almost 3 hours during the storm, gathering radiation data for the students' monitoring program. The Mooncat comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and explaining the radiation experiment. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space jewelry to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Don't wait for Christmas--get yours now! Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store All sales support hands-on STEM education Realtime Comet Photo Gallery Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter 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 Nov 03, 2024, the network reported 4 fireballs. (3 sporadics, 1 northern Taurid) 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] 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 3, 2024 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.  | Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) | 2024 UP6 | 2024-Oct-29 | 15.8 LD | 8.7 | 14 | 2024 UL8 | 2024-Oct-29 | 13.4 LD | 14.4 | 17 | 2024 SU13 | 2024-Oct-29 | 10.9 LD | 6 | 32 | 2024 VB | 2024-Oct-29 | 2.9 LD | 4.7 | 6 | 2024 UX10 | 2024-Oct-29 | 10.2 LD | 15.3 | 18 | 2024 UF9 | 2024-Oct-29 | 1.5 LD | 18 | 21 | 2024 UE6 | 2024-Oct-30 | 6.7 LD | 15 | 14 | 2024 UB11 | 2024-Oct-30 | 0.2 LD | 14.8 | 4 | 2024 UG9 | 2024-Oct-30 | 0 LD | 20.3 | 1 | 2024 UQ2 | 2024-Oct-30 | 4.4 LD | 14.9 | 20 | 2024 UE3 | 2024-Oct-30 | 3.1 LD | 13.8 | 16 | 2024 UL9 | 2024-Oct-30 | 11.4 LD | 7.3 | 16 | 2021 CV1 | 2024-Oct-30 | 14.4 LD | 23.6 | 38 | 2024 UK6 | 2024-Oct-30 | 19.7 LD | 10.5 | 29 | 2024 UU1 | 2024-Oct-31 | 1.3 LD | 18 | 23 | 2023 KX3 | 2024-Oct-31 | 18.8 LD | 2.4 | 25 | 2022 UD21 | 2024-Oct-31 | 11.8 LD | 11.8 | 27 | 2024 UW6 | 2024-Oct-31 | 14.3 LD | 8.1 | 15 | 2024 UP4 | 2024-Oct-31 | 3.2 LD | 10.9 | 12 | 2024 VJ | 2024-Oct-31 | 3.1 LD | 7.1 | 13 | 2024 UU7 | 2024-Nov-01 | 4.7 LD | 10.1 | 14 | 2024 UT5 | 2024-Nov-01 | 3.3 LD | 14.4 | 8 | 2024 VF | 2024-Nov-01 | 10.4 LD | 4.5 | 13 | 2024 UD11 | 2024-Nov-01 | 0.6 LD | 14.4 | 5 | 2024 UL6 | 2024-Nov-01 | 14.1 LD | 5.3 | 23 | 2016 VA | 2024-Nov-01 | 1.5 LD | 21.2 | 11 | 2024 UP5 | 2024-Nov-02 | 11.5 LD | 6.6 | 28 | 2024 VA | 2024-Nov-03 | 1.2 LD | 12.8 | 10 | 2024 UV6 | 2024-Nov-03 | 17.4 LD | 7.4 | 14 | 2024 TX13 | 2024-Nov-03 | 1.9 LD | 7.6 | 43 | 2020 VX1 | 2024-Nov-03 | 19.4 LD | 7.8 | 93 | 2024 UU11 | 2024-Nov-03 | 1.1 LD | 18 | 9 | 2024 UE11 | 2024-Nov-03 | 2.3 LD | 8.3 | 7 | 2023 VS | 2024-Nov-04 | 15.2 LD | 4.3 | 4 | 2024 UF2 | 2024-Nov-04 | 19.5 LD | 12.8 | 47 | 2024 VO | 2024-Nov-04 | 0.8 LD | 3.1 | 2 | 2024 UX6 | 2024-Nov-05 | 17.2 LD | 14.7 | 38 | 2024 UT7 | 2024-Nov-05 | 2.7 LD | 8.3 | 63 | 2024 TD22 | 2024-Nov-05 | 8 LD | 11.9 | 53 | 2024 UO11 | 2024-Nov-05 | 11.9 LD | 6.5 | 11 | 2024 UH5 | 2024-Nov-05 | 1.6 LD | 6.9 | 16 | 2024 UD6 | 2024-Nov-06 | 8.2 LD | 5.7 | 12 | 2024 UW | 2024-Nov-06 | 1.7 LD | 4.7 | 9 | 2024 UT11 | 2024-Nov-06 | 4.7 LD | 12.1 | 23 | 2022 JM | 2024-Nov-06 | 19.7 LD | 6.2 | 6 | 2024 VC | 2024-Nov-07 | 1.8 LD | 4.9 | 13 | 2024 UK13 | 2024-Nov-08 | 10.4 LD | 10 | 17 | 2024 UK9 | 2024-Nov-08 | 4.3 LD | 4.4 | 14 | 2024 UU9 | 2024-Nov-09 | 14.5 LD | 8.8 | 16 | 2024 VE | 2024-Nov-09 | 5.5 LD | 10.4 | 25 | 2024 UU4 | 2024-Nov-09 | 19.4 LD | 5.7 | 15 | 2024 UZ | 2024-Nov-10 | 16.4 LD | 4.9 | 19 | 2024 UC3 | 2024-Nov-10 | 11 LD | 6.6 | 28 | 2024 UK8 | 2024-Nov-11 | 19.7 LD | 18.7 | 21 | 2019 WB7 | 2024-Nov-11 | 17.3 LD | 5.7 | 43 | 2024 UE4 | 2024-Nov-11 | 3.4 LD | 12.5 | 28 | 2020 UL3 | 2024-Nov-12 | 4.1 LD | 10.5 | 80 | 2020 AB2 | 2024-Nov-13 | 18.9 LD | 7.2 | 14 | 2024 UA10 | 2024-Nov-14 | 19.1 LD | 15.4 | 31 | 2019 VU5 | 2024-Nov-14 | 12 LD | 23.3 | 46 | 2019 VL5 | 2024-Nov-14 | 9.6 LD | 8.5 | 24 | 2024 UE13 | 2024-Nov-15 | 19.7 LD | 7.8 | 25 | 2024 UC5 | 2024-Nov-17 | 10.8 LD | 4.2 | 20 | 2023 WK3 | 2024-Nov-18 | 16.1 LD | 14.5 | 272 | 2024 UZ10 | 2024-Nov-18 | 11.6 LD | 13.2 | 46 | 2012 KO11 | 2024-Nov-20 | 6.2 LD | 9.4 | 43 | 2024 UW9 | 2024-Nov-20 | 13.7 LD | 15 | 43 | 2020 VX4 | 2024-Nov-20 | 10.5 LD | 10.5 | 11 | 2009 WB105 | 2024-Nov-25 | 15.1 LD | 18.9 | 71 | 2006 WB | 2024-Nov-26 | 2.3 LD | 4.2 | 98 | 2018 DC4 | 2024-Nov-29 | 18.8 LD | 4.5 | 12 | 2019 JN2 | 2024-Nov-30 | 9.4 LD | 7.7 | 25 | 2021 XZ | 2024-Dec-02 | 13.2 LD | 7.4 | 8 | 447755 | 2024-Dec-03 | 14.4 LD | 12.2 | 402 | 2020 XR | 2024-Dec-04 | 5.8 LD | 12.3 | 388 | 2021 WA5 | 2024-Dec-05 | 9.8 LD | 5.9 | 12 | 2024 UU3 | 2024-Dec-08 | 16.9 LD | 4.8 | 36 | 2018 XU3 | 2024-Dec-11 | 16.8 LD | 10.8 | 28 | 2007 XB23 | 2024-Dec-11 | 1.2 LD | 4.8 | 14 | 2022 YO1 | 2024-Dec-17 | 2 LD | 14.3 | 4 | 2020 XY4 | 2024-Dec-19 | 12.8 LD | 8.8 | 14 | 2017 YD2 | 2024-Dec-27 | 18 LD | 9.9 | 6 | 2024 AV2 | 2024-Dec-31 | 6.7 LD | 7.8 | 17 | Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. | Cosmic Rays in the Atmosphere | SPACE WEATHER BALLOON DATA: Almost once a week, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus fly space weather balloons to the stratosphere over California. These balloons are equipped with sensors that detect secondary cosmic rays, a form of radiation from space that can penetrate all the way down to Earth's surface. Our monitoring program has been underway without interruption for 7 years, resulting in a unique dataset of in situ atmospheric measurements. Latest results (July 2022): Atmospheric radiation is decreasing in 2022. Our latest measurements in July 2022 registered a 6-year low:  What's going on? Ironically, the radiation drop is caused by increasing solar activity. Solar Cycle 25 has roared to life faster than forecasters expected. The sun's strengthening and increasingly tangled magnetic field repels cosmic rays from deep space. In addition, solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) sweep aside cosmic rays, causing sharp reductions called "Forbush Decreases." The two effects blend together to bring daily radiation levels down. .Who cares? Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere, trigger lightning, and penetrate commercial airplanes. According to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health, crews of aircraft have higher rates of cancer than the general population. The researchers listed cosmic rays, irregular sleep habits, and chemical contaminants as leading risk factors. A number of controversial studies (#1, #2, #3, #4) go even further, linking cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Technical notes: The radiation sensors onboard our helium balloons detect X-rays and gamma-rays in the energy range 10 keV to 20 MeV. These energies span the range of medical X-ray machines and airport security scanners. Data points in the graph labeled "Stratospheric Radiation" correspond to the peak of the Regener-Pfotzer maximum, which lies about 67,000 feet above central California. When cosmic rays crash into Earth's atmosphere, they produce a spray of secondary particles that is most intense at the entrance to the stratosphere. Physicists Eric Regener and Georg Pfotzer discovered the maximum using balloons in the 1930s and it is what we are measuring today. | The official U.S. government space weather bureau | | The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena. | | Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever. | | 3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory | | Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. | | information about sunspots based on the latest NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary | | current counts of failed and deployed Starlink satellites from Jonathan's Space Page. See also, all satellite statistics. | | Authoritative predictions of space junk and satellite re-entries | | from the NOAA Space Environment Center | | fun to read, but should be taken with a grain of salt! Forecasts looking ahead more than a few days are often wrong. | | from the NOAA Space Environment Center | | the underlying science of space weather |  | Got a chipped or cracked windshield that prevents you from seeing space weather events while driving? Get windshield replacement from SR Windows & Glass with free mobile auto glass service anywhere in the Phoenix area. |  | BestCSGOGambling is the best site for everything related to CSGO gambling on the web | | These links help Spaceweather.com stay online. Thank you to our supporters! | | | | | | | |  | |  |  | ©2021 Spaceweather.com. All rights reserved. This site is penned daily by Dr. Tony Phillips. | |