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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 468.2 km/sec
density: 10.1 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 2345 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: A1
1956 UT Apr08
24-hr: A2
1257 UT Apr08
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2350 UT
Daily Sun: 08 Apr 20
The sun is blank--no sunspots. Credit: SDO/HMI

Sunspot number: 0
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 08 Apr 2020

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 3 days
2020 total: 73 days (74%)
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 08 Apr 2020


Thermosphere Climate Index
today: 3.60
x1010 W Cold
Max: 49.4
x1010 W Hot (10/1957)
Min: 2.05
x1010 W Cold (02/2009)
explanation | more data: gfx, txt
Updated 08 Apr 2020

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 70 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 08 Apr 2020

Cosmic Rays Solar minimum is underway. The sun's magnetic field is weak, allowing extra cosmic rays into the solar system. Neutron counts from the University of Oulu's Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory show that cosmic rays reaching Earth in 2019 are near a Space Age peak.

Oulu Neutron Counts

Percentages of the Space Age average:
today: +10.0% Very High
48-hr change: -0.1%
Max: +11.7% Very High
(12/2009)
Min: -32.1% Very Low (06/1991)
explanation | more data
Updated 08 Apr 2020 @ 1700 UT

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/Ovation
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.1 nT
Bz: -1.2 nT south
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 2345 UT
Coronal Holes: 08 Apr 20

Solar wind flowing from this minor coronal hole could reach Earth on April 10-11.
Credit: SDO/AIA

Noctilucent Clouds The southern hemisphere season for noctilucent clouds began on Nov. 15th--the earliest start in recorded history. Check here for daily images from NASA's AIM spacecraft.
Switch view: Europe, USA, Asia, Polar
Updated at: 03-02-2020 17:55:02 UT
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2020 Apr 08 2200 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: 2020 Apr 08 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
20 %
20 %
MINOR
05 %
05 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
15 %
15 %
MINOR
30 %
30 %
SEVERE
25 %
25 %
 
Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2020
What's up in space
       
 

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THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: An unexpected stream of solar wind is blowing around Earth on April 8th. The stream's velocity is only moderately high (~450 km/s) but it contains south-pointing magnetic fields that can open cracks in Earth's magnetosphere. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras mixed with springtime twilight. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

AURORA SURPRISE: Auroras were not in the forecast for April 7th. Nevertheless, they appeared in force over Utsjoki, Finland. "Despite the full moon, we witnessed a beautiful explosion of green, with the purple nitrogen fringe as well," reports Rayann Elzein who took this picture:

"We've reached the time of year when the northern horizon never gets totally dark," says Elzein. "Nevertheless, aurora season is not over yet!"

What caused the display? Unexpectedly, a crack opened in Earth's magnetic field. ("BZ tipped south.") Solar wind poured in to spark the lights.

Soon, the night sky will be too bright for Arctic observers to see auroras. " Just in case, I said 'goodbye' until September, but who knows, maybe we get more luck in the coming days," says Elzein. Indeed, more luck could be in the offing. A high-speed stream of solar wind is approaching Earth, flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere. Estimated time of arrival: April 10-11. Stay tuned.

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free:
Spaceweather.com Newsletter

MINERAL MOON: According to folklore, last night's full Moon was the "Pink Moon," named after the first flowers of northern spring. A closer look reveals a number of other colors as well. Talha Zia sends this picture from Karachi, Pakistan:

No filter was required to produce Zia's image. The colors are naturally present and only need a bit of boosting with Photoshop to see. "I stacked 43 single images to enhance signal to noise ratio," says Zia, "then I enhanced the colors deliberately to create the final photo." The method is described here.

What do the colors mean? Blue denotes areas rich in titanium, while orange is titanium poor. Titanium-rich zones are particularly interesting because lunar titanium is bound to oxygen--for instance, in the lunar mineral ilmenite. This oxygen may be easily extracted, providing future explorers a source of air to breath and oxidizer for rocket engines.

Pink is present, too, in a type of rock called "pink spinel anorthosite." This is a mineral composed of aluminum, magnesium, and oxygen, and might be formed by melting when meteorites hit the Moon. Apollo astrononauts found it in Moon rocks, and researchers are still trying to figure out where it comes from.

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free:
Spaceweather.com Newsletter

A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT FROM THE STRATOSPHERE: Tell Mom how much you love her -- to the Moon and Back! On March 5th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched an array of cosmic ray sensors to the edge of space onboard a helium balloon. This Mother's Day pendant went along for the ride:

The silvery crescent declares "I love you to the Moon and Back" and surrounds a 14K gold plated heart labeled "Mom."

You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. Sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.

Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education


Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free:
Spaceweather.com Newsletter

  All Sky Fireball Network
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 Apr. 08, 2020, the network reported 4 fireballs.
(4 sporadics)

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]

  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 April 8, 2020 there were 2018 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Velocity (km/s)
Diameter (m)
1994 GL
2020-Apr-03
10.7 LD
9.2
47
2020 FK3
2020-Apr-03
10.4 LD
9.7
32
2020 GH
2020-Apr-03
0.3 LD
12.9
6
2020 GC
2020-Apr-04
4.7 LD
13.9
18
2015 FC35
2020-Apr-04
10.5 LD
13.8
148
2020 FL6
2020-Apr-04
5.1 LD
12.1
32
2020 GB
2020-Apr-04
6.2 LD
10.3
27
2020 GY1
2020-Apr-05
0.2 LD
12.1
17
2020 GF
2020-Apr-05
7.6 LD
5.2
24
2020 GM
2020-Apr-05
2.3 LD
9.5
18
2020 DT3
2020-Apr-05
17.6 LD
11.8
204
2020 GC1
2020-Apr-05
1.4 LD
10.2
32
2020 GN
2020-Apr-05
6 LD
8.2
12
2020 GV1
2020-Apr-05
6.5 LD
9.3
9
2020 GE1
2020-Apr-06
3.7 LD
4.6
14
2020 FQ6
2020-Apr-06
17.9 LD
11.2
37
2020 GN1
2020-Apr-06
7.7 LD
6.5
13
2020 GB1
2020-Apr-06
1.1 LD
8.3
15
2020 GQ1
2020-Apr-07
4.4 LD
16.9
16
2020 GW1
2020-Apr-08
5.9 LD
13.2
23
2020 GF1
2020-Apr-08
1.5 LD
6.1
20
2020 FL4
2020-Apr-09
10.4 LD
4.6
14
2015 GK
2020-Apr-09
12.2 LD
12.9
25
2020 FW4
2020-Apr-09
19.7 LD
18.6
162
2020 GE
2020-Apr-10
5.4 LD
2.2
8
2019 HM
2020-Apr-10
7.2 LD
3.2
23
2020 GM1
2020-Apr-11
10.2 LD
25.6
62
2020 GU1
2020-Apr-11
5.9 LD
6.9
10
2020 GG
2020-Apr-11
9.7 LD
5.5
17
363599
2020-Apr-11
19.2 LD
24.5
224
2020 FX3
2020-Apr-15
14.1 LD
10.3
56
2020 FZ6
2020-Apr-15
20 LD
21.7
189
2020 FV6
2020-Apr-19
10.8 LD
19.7
88
2019 HS2
2020-Apr-26
13.6 LD
12.6
17
2019 GF1
2020-Apr-27
18.7 LD
3.2
12
2020 FM6
2020-Apr-27
14.3 LD
16.9
158
52768
2020-Apr-29
16.4 LD
8.7
2457
2020 DM4
2020-May-01
18.4 LD
6.4
162
438908
2020-May-07
8.9 LD
12.8
282
2016 HP6
2020-May-07
4.3 LD
5.7
31
388945
2020-May-10
7.3 LD
8.8
295
2000 KA
2020-May-12
8.9 LD
13.5
162
478784
2020-May-15
8.5 LD
3.6
28
136795
2020-May-21
16.1 LD
11.7
892
163348
2020-Jun-06
13.3 LD
11.1
339
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.
  Cosmic Rays in the Atmosphere

SOMETHING NEW! We have developed a new predictive model of aviation radiation. It's called E-RAD--short for Empirical RADiation model. We are constantly flying radiation sensors onboard airplanes over the US and and around the world, so far collecting more than 22,000 gps-tagged radiation measurements. Using this unique dataset, we can predict the dosage on any flight over the USA with an error no worse than 15%.

E-RAD lets us do something new: Every day we monitor approximately 1400 flights criss-crossing the 10 busiest routes in the continental USA. Typically, this includes more than 80,000 passengers per day. E-RAD calculates the radiation exposure for every single flight.

The Hot Flights Table is a daily summary of these calculations. It shows the 5 charter flights with the highest dose rates; the 5 commercial flights with the highest dose rates; 5 commercial flights with near-average dose rates; and the 5 commercial flights with the lowest dose rates. Passengers typically experience dose rates that are 20 to 70 times higher than natural radiation at sea level.

To measure radiation on airplanes, we use the same sensors we fly to the stratosphere onboard Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloons: neutron bubble chambers and X-ray/gamma-ray Geiger tubes sensitive to energies between 10 keV and 20 MeV. These energies span the range of medical X-ray machines and airport security scanners.

Column definitions: (1) The flight number; (2) The maximum dose rate during the flight, expressed in units of natural radiation at sea level; (3) The maximum altitude of the plane in feet above sea level; (4) Departure city; (5) Arrival city; (6) Duration of the flight.

SPACE WEATHER BALLOON DATA: Approximately 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 radiation sensors that detect cosmic rays, a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. Cosmic rays can seed clouds, trigger lightning, and penetrate commercial airplanes. Furthermore, there are studies ( #1, #2, #3, #4) linking cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in the general population. Our latest measurements show that cosmic rays are intensifying, with an increase of more than 18% since 2015:

The data points in the graph above 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 Reneger and Georg Pfotzer discovered the maximum using balloons in the 1930s and it is what we are measuring today.

En route to the stratosphere, our sensors also pass through aviation altitudes:

In this plot, dose rates are expessed as multiples of sea level. For instance, we see that boarding a plane that flies at 25,000 feet exposes passengers to dose rates ~10x higher than sea level. At 40,000 feet, the multiplier is closer to 50x.

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.

Why are cosmic rays intensifying? The main reason is the sun. Solar storm clouds such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) sweep aside cosmic rays when they pass by Earth. During Solar Maximum, CMEs are abundant and cosmic rays are held at bay. Now, however, the solar cycle is swinging toward Solar Minimum, allowing cosmic rays to return. Another reason could be the weakening of Earth's magnetic field, which helps protect us from deep-space radiation.

  Essential web links
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
  The official U.S. government space weather bureau
Atmospheric Optics
  The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena.
Solar Dynamics Observatory
  Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever.
STEREO
  3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
  Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO.
Daily Sunspot Summaries
  from the NOAA Space Environment Center
NOAA 27-Day Space Weather Forecasts
  fun to read, but should be taken with a grain of salt! Forecasts looking ahead more than a few days are often wrong.
Aurora 30 min forecast
  from the NOAA Space Environment Center
Heliophysics
  the underlying science of space weather

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