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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 581.5 km/sec
density: 1.3 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 0644 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1
0444 UT May31
24-hr: C1
0444 UT May31
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0600 UT
Daily Sun: 31 May 11
Solar activity is lower today than yesterday, but the respite may be temporary. Big sunspot 1226 still harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 105
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 30 May 2011

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2011 total: 1 day (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 820 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days

Updated 30 May 2011


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 112 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 30 May 2011

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 3.9 nT
Bz: 1.6 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 0644 UT
Coronal Holes: 31 May 11
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth on or about June 4th. . Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2011 May 30 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 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: 2011 May 30 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
20 %
05 %
MINOR
10 %
01 %
SEVERE
05 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
20 %
05 %
MINOR
10 %
01 %
SEVERE
05 %
01 %
 
Tuesday, May. 31, 2011
What's up in space
 

Turn your cell phone into a field-tested satellite tracker. Works for Android and iPhone.

 
Satellite flybys

DOUBLE FLYBY ALERT: Space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 11:55 pm EDT on May 29th. This sets the stage for a series of beautiful double flybys: The shuttle and station will soar through the night sky side-by-side in advance of Endeavour's final landing on June 1st. Check the Simple Satellite Tracker or your cell phone to see if you are favored with an apparition.

"Early Tuesday morning, I witnessed a spectacular double flyby of the ISS and Endeavour over northern Arizona," reports David Blanchard of Flagstaff, Arizona. "As the two spacecraft moved out of Earth's shadow I noted a fuzzy cloud below their track. It wasn't long before I realized that Endeavour was venting its tanks creating an ice cloud in space that was moving along with the two craft." (continued below)


Photo details: Nikon D700; ISO 3200; f/4; 16-35mm@16; 15s.

"Endeavour had just undocked a few hours earlier and was following very closely behind the ISS," continues Blanchard. "It had not yet modified its orbit substantially so that its track nearly matched that of the ISS, and it is difficult to distinguish the two tracks in this image. Also visible in the upper right is the faint track of another earth orbiting satellite -- most likely COSMOS 2228."

more images: from Marsha Adams of Sedona, Arizona; from Bob Thompson of Prescott, Arizona; from Mark A. Brown of Carlisle, PA; from Paul M. Hadfield of Decatur, IL; from Achim Schaller of Freiburg, Southern Rhine Valley, Germany; from Terry Mann of West Manchester, Ohio; from Catalin Fus of Krakow, Poland; from Mark Staples of Lake Santa Fe, Waldo, FL;

WEEKEND AURORAS: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field on May 28th, sparking a G2-class geomagnetic storm and bright auroras at high latitudes. "In the Alberta prairies east of Edmonton, it looked like it was raining auroras," reports photographer Zoltan Kenwell. "Blues, purples, and greens were all over the place." (continued below)

"It was a fantastic display!" he says.

Both ends of the Earth were affected. People saw auroras in Tasmania, New Zealand, Antarctica, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The solar wind is still blowing strong on May 30th, prompting NOAA forecasters to estimate a 35% chance of more geomagnetic activity in the next 24 hours. Now might be a good time to sign up for aurora alerts: text, voice.

more images: from Brian Larmay of Pembine, Wisconsin; from Minoru Yoneto of Queenstown, New Zealand; from Neva Andersen of Saint Cloud, Minnesota; from Dave Curtis of Dunedin, New Zealand; from Ian Stewart of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; from Tom Luttrell of Mount Nelson Signal Station, Hobart, Tasmania; from Beatrice van Eden of Antarctica;


April 2011 Aurora Gallery
[previous Aprils: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002]

  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 May 31, 2011 there were 1224 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2011 KY15
May 24
8 LD
--
71 m
2011 KG13
May 24
3.2 LD
--
31 m
2002 JC
Jun 1
57.5 LD
--
1.6 km
2009 BD
Jun 2
0.9 LD
--
10 m
2011 KE15
Jun 3
3.7 LD
--
18 m
2011 KV15
Jun 5
8.4 LD
--
26 m
2002 JB9
Jun 11
71.5 LD
--
3.2 km
2001 VH75
Jun 12
42.2 LD
--
1.1 km
2004 LO2
Jun 15
9.9 LD
--
48 m
2011 GA55
Jul 6
64.1 LD
--
1.0 km
2011 EZ78
Jul 10
37.3 LD
--
1.5 km
2003 YS117
Jul 14
73.9 LD
--
1.0 km
2007 DD
Jul 23
9.3 LD
--
31 m
2009 AV
Aug 22
49.7 LD
--
1.1 km
2003 QC10
Sep 18
50 LD
--
1.2 km
2004 SV55
Sep 19
67.5 LD
--
1.2 km
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.
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