 | | |  Solar wind
speed: 510.7 km/sec
density: 2.79 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1146 UT X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C4 1750 UT Jan06
24-hr: M4 1624 UT Jan06
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2350 UT  Daily Sun: 06 Jan 25 Expand: labels | no labels | Carrington
Sunspot 3947 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that poses a threat for X-class solar flares. Photo credit: Jean-Noel Antoine of St Brieuc, Bretagne, France
Note: On Nov. 26, 2024, a flood at Stanford University damaged a number of important SDO data servers. Repairs will not be completed until 2025. As a result, for the foreseeable future, Daily Sun images will be coming from readers of Spaceweather.com. Thank you, citizen scientists!  |  | Sunspot number: 178
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 06 Jan 2025
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2024 total: 0 days (0%)
2023 total: 0 days (0%)
2022 total: 1 day (<1%)
2021 total: 64 days (18%)
2020 total: 208 days (57%)
2019 total: 281 days (77%)
2018 total: 221 days (61%)
2017 total: 104 days (28%)
2016 total: 32 days (9%)
2015 total: 0 days (0%)
2014 total: 1 day (<1%)
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
2008 total: 268 days (73%)
2007 total: 152 days (42%)
2006 total: 70 days (19%)
Updated 06 Jan 2025
Thermosphere Climate Index
today: 26.54x1010 W Hot
Max: 49.4x1010 W Hot (10/1957)
Min: 2.05x1010 W Cold (02/2009)
explanation | more data: gfx, txt
Updated 05 Jan 2025 The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 169 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 06 Jan 2025 Cosmic Rays Solar Cycle 25 is intensifying, and this is reflected in the number of cosmic rays entering Earth's atmosphere. Neutron counts from the University of Oulu's Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory show that cosmic rays reaching Earth are slowly declining--a result of the yin-yang relationship between the solar cycle and cosmic rays.
Oulu Neutron Counts
Percentages of the Space Age average:
today: -9.8% Low
48-hr change: +0.5%
Max: +11.7% Very High (12/2009)
Min: -32.1% Very Low (06/1991)
explanation | more data
Updated 06 Jan 2025 @ 0700 UT 
Current Auroral Oval: Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica Credit: NOAA/Ovation Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2.33 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 4.00 unsettled
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.65 nT
Bz: -0.32 nT south
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1146 UT Coronal Holes: 06 Jan 25 
There are no significant equatorial coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: NOAA/GOES-16 | more data 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 Jan 6, 2025, the Arctic stratosphere is cold enough for Type II clouds. | more data. Noctilucent Clouds
The southern season for noctilucent clouds (NLCs) is underway!. The first clouds were detected over Antarctica on Nov. 19, 2024. Here is the current NLC map from the NOAA 21 satellite.
Updated: Jan. 02, 2025
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: 2025 Jan 06 2200 UTC FLARE | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | CLASS M | 70 % | 65 % | CLASS X | 25 % | 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: 2025 Jan 06 2200 UTC Mid-latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 40 % | 20 % | MINOR | 15 % | 05 % | SEVERE | 01 % | 01 % | High latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 10 % | 15 % | MINOR | 30 % | 30 % | SEVERE | 55 % | 25 % | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | This is an AI Free Zone! Text created by Large Language Models is spreading rapidly across the Internet. It's well-written, but frequently inaccurate. If you find a mistake on Spaceweather.com, rest assured it was made by a real human being. | | | CHANCE OF FLARES: Don't be surprised if there's an X-class solar flare today. Active sunspot AR3947 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. Indeed, it has already produced three X-flares since Jan. 3rd. NOAA estimates a 25% chance of another one today. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text. MID-LATITUDE AURORAS IN EUROPE: 2024 was a big year for space weather. NOAA and NASA announced that Solar Max has arrived, and photographer Petr Horálek saw the proof in the skies of central Europe: 
"In 2024, more than 30 auroras were recorded from Central Europe. I was lucky to capture them across Czechia and Slovakia (latitude ~50 degrees north). In this collection, circles mark the dates of each display on a vertical timeline, with larger circles denoting better naked-eye visibility." "The colors show the intensity of the observed aurora during the time of the observation," he says. "While dark orange refers to active geomagnetic storms (G2), bright orange refers to the strong ones (up to G3), and red colors the severe to extreme ones (G4+). Also, you can see some of the auroras occured during the Perseid meteor shower." 2025 could be much the same. Solar Max typically lasts 2 to 3 years, and solar activity has shown few signs of slowing down. Stay tuned! Aurora alerts: SMS Text. Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: A New Year of balloon launches is beginning, and we need to buy helium! You can help by puchasing a gift from the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons.
These unique gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out. Don't forget to enter coupon code "SOLARMAX2025" at checkout for a 15% holiday discount. All profits support STEM space weather research. Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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Realtime Comet Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Aurora 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 Jan 05, 2025, the network reported 20 fireballs.
(18 sporadics, 1 Quadrantid, 1 December Leonis Minorid)  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 January 6, 2025 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.
| Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: | Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) | | 2025 AG1 | 2025-Jan-01 | 1.8 LD | 2.6 | 5 | | 2024 YY8 | 2025-Jan-01 | 3.4 LD | 4.8 | 7 | | 2024 YJ9 | 2025-Jan-01 | 3.3 LD | 14.2 | 9 | | 2024 YY4 | 2025-Jan-01 | 4.4 LD | 4 | 18 | | 2024 YR9 | 2025-Jan-02 | 8.7 LD | 20.7 | 25 | | 2025 AO1 | 2025-Jan-02 | 1.4 LD | 8.1 | 10 | | 2024 YF7 | 2025-Jan-02 | 5.1 LD | 13.6 | 25 | | 2024 YS9 | 2025-Jan-02 | 4.1 LD | 21.2 | 10 | | 2024 XP10 | 2025-Jan-02 | 19.8 LD | 8.4 | 39 | | 2025 AC | 2025-Jan-02 | 0.4 LD | 4.3 | 6 | | 2024 YC9 | 2025-Jan-03 | 3.4 LD | 8.7 | 14 | | 2025 AB | 2025-Jan-03 | 0.4 LD | 11.6 | 13 | | 2025 AE | 2025-Jan-03 | 16.4 LD | 16.7 | 25 | | 2025 AO | 2025-Jan-03 | 1.2 LD | 9.8 | 6 | | 2024 YL1 | 2025-Jan-03 | 6.2 LD | 4.8 | 12 | | 2024 YL7 | 2025-Jan-04 | 12.7 LD | 7.3 | 30 | | 2021 AO4 | 2025-Jan-04 | 6.9 LD | 15.1 | 11 | | 2024 YG13 | 2025-Jan-04 | 1.9 LD | 11.8 | 14 | | 2024 YU1 | 2025-Jan-04 | 5.9 LD | 7.3 | 32 | | 2024 YX9 | 2025-Jan-04 | 5.7 LD | 11.2 | 15 | | 2024 YT3 | 2025-Jan-05 | 10.8 LD | 7.1 | 18 | | 2020 BC6 | 2025-Jan-05 | 9.6 LD | 22.2 | 248 | | 2024 YY21 | 2025-Jan-06 | 14.5 LD | 5.2 | 15 | | 2024 YW3 | 2025-Jan-06 | 5.6 LD | 12.3 | 33 | | 2024 YZ9 | 2025-Jan-07 | 9.5 LD | 8.5 | 34 | | 2024 YA10 | 2025-Jan-08 | 8.9 LD | 12 | 21 | | 2024 BM1 | 2025-Jan-08 | 11.5 LD | 9.1 | 22 | | 2024 PT5 | 2025-Jan-09 | 4.7 LD | 1 | 12 | | 2024 YD13 | 2025-Jan-09 | 14.6 LD | 7.3 | 24 | | 2023 OS3 | 2025-Jan-09 | 19.9 LD | 3.1 | 10 | | 2024 YW9 | 2025-Jan-09 | 2.7 LD | 7.8 | 19 | | 2008 AU28 | 2025-Jan-09 | 12.6 LD | 10.8 | 39 | | 2024 YD5 | 2025-Jan-10 | 15.1 LD | 7.2 | 20 | | 2012 UK171 | 2025-Jan-11 | 10.7 LD | 6.4 | 46 | | 2025 AF1 | 2025-Jan-11 | 4.7 LD | 4.9 | 11 | | 2024 YZ12 | 2025-Jan-12 | 3.2 LD | 8.6 | 20 | | 2022 EE6 | 2025-Jan-13 | 15.5 LD | 8.7 | 45 | | 2025 AS | 2025-Jan-14 | 16.1 LD | 9.2 | 46 | | 2024 YX5 | 2025-Jan-14 | 11.6 LD | 10.6 | 25 | | 2023 OS | 2025-Jan-15 | 16.6 LD | 10.9 | 48 | | 2022 CE2 | 2025-Jan-16 | 11.1 LD | 13.3 | 120 | | 2024 YF2 | 2025-Jan-17 | 4.4 LD | 4.4 | 17 | | 2025 AF | 2025-Jan-17 | 19.8 LD | 8.8 | 34 | | 2022 OB5 | 2025-Jan-18 | 8.9 LD | 1.4 | 6 | | 2024 YB10 | 2025-Jan-18 | 15.1 LD | 2.5 | 16 | | 2024 WY70 | 2025-Jan-18 | 16.5 LD | 10.2 | 261 | | 2024 YQ5 | 2025-Jan-19 | 17.6 LD | 5 | 29 | | 2024 YY5 | 2025-Jan-26 | 12.5 LD | 2.4 | 14 | | 2022 BX6 | 2025-Jan-28 | 19.7 LD | 14.3 | 24 | | 2015 DJ155 | 2025-Jan-31 | 18.6 LD | 9.2 | 56 | | 2018 RE3 | 2025-Feb-03 | 15.5 LD | 11.1 | 12 | | 2022 AV4 | 2025-Feb-03 | 16.9 LD | 3.4 | 25 | | 2002 CC14 | 2025-Feb-04 | 8.4 LD | 12.7 | 39 | | 2016 CO248 | 2025-Feb-07 | 13.5 LD | 5.9 | 11 | | 2020 GZ2 | 2025-Feb-07 | 17.7 LD | 8.9 | 9 | | 2022 PK1 | 2025-Feb-07 | 15 LD | 11 | 33 | | 2012 PB20 | 2025-Feb-09 | 3.5 LD | 4.3 | 37 | | 2004 XG | 2025-Feb-16 | 15.6 LD | 9.1 | 54 | | 2024 UD26 | 2025-Feb-16 | 16.8 LD | 9.3 | 250 | | 2014 CE13 | 2025-Feb-18 | 15.2 LD | 18.4 | 55 | | 2022 DG2 | 2025-Feb-19 | 11.5 LD | 10.4 | 7 | | 2016 AX165 | 2025-Feb-20 | 14.9 LD | 9.2 | 89 | | 2015 BK509 | 2025-Feb-25 | 9.4 LD | 14.6 | 119 | | 2023 RW3 | 2025-Feb-25 | 7.4 LD | 5.1 | 18 | | 535844 | 2025-Mar-05 | 9.6 LD | 7.9 | 149 | 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 10 years, resulting in a unique dataset of in situ atmospheric measurements. Latest results (Nov. 2024): Atmospheric radiation is decreasing in 2024. Our latest measurements in November registered a 10-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. | |
