Solar wind
speed: 731.9 km/sec
density: 0.54 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0736 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C2
1703 UT Oct02
24-hr: M1
0209 UT Oct02
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1940 UT
Daily Sun: 02 Oct 25
Expand: labels | no labels
Dangerous sunspot alert: Two of these sunspots (4230 and 4236) have 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic fields that harbor energy for X-class solar flares. Credit: NASA/SDO

Sunspot number: 161
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 02 Oct 2025

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2025 total: 0 days (0%)
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 02 Oct 2025


Thermosphere Climate Index
today: 20.74x1010 W Warm
Max: 49.4
x1010 W Hot (10/1957)
Min: 2.05
x1010 W Cold (02/2009)
explanation | more data: gfx, txt
Updated 01 Oct 2025

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 184 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 02 Oct 2025

Cosmic Rays Solar Cycle 25 is near its peak, 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: -7.5% Low
48-hr change: -0.4%
Max: +11.7% Very High
(12/2009)
Min: -32.1% Very Low (06/1991)
explanation | more data
Updated 02 Oct 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= 6.67
storm
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 6.74 nT
Bz: -1.44 nT south
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0737 UT
Coronal Holes: 02 Oct 25

Earth is inside a stream of solar wind flowing from this broad coronal hole.
Credit: NASA/SDO | 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 Sep 30, 2025, the Arctic stratosphere is too hot for polar stratospheric clouds. | more data.

Noctilucent Clouds
The northern season for noctilucent clouds is underway. First reports of the electric-blue clouds came from Russia on May 28, 2025. Since then, the clouds have spread to lower latitudes, reaching Paris, France, during a major outbreak on June 23, 2025. The seson is ending in an interesting way. Usually the clouds vanish in August, but they have persisted and sometimes been quite storng as August comes to an end.


Above: Aug. 21, 2025, Björköby, Finland

"These late season noctilucent clouds drifted in front of the crescent moon. It was quite beautiful," says photographer Sebastian Sainio.

See the complete NLC Photo Gallery

SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2025 Oct 01 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
60 %
60 %
CLASS X
15 %
15 %
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 Oct 01 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
45 %
40 %
MINOR
25 %
20 %
SEVERE
05 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
10 %
10 %
MINOR
25 %
35 %
SEVERE
65 %
50 %
 
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
What's up in space
       
 

This is an AI Free Zone: Text created by Large Language Models is spreading 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 STRONG FLARES: Don't be surprised if there's an X-flare today. Two sunspots (4232 and 4236) have unstable delta-class magnetic fields, and both are facing Earth. Shortwave radio blackouts and geoeffective CMEs are likely if an explosion occurs. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.

COMET 3I/ATLAS HAS REACHED MARS: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is approaching Mars for a close encounter on October 3rd. The Mars Fleet is ready. "We're about to get our best-ever look at an interstellar comet," says physicist T. Marshall Eubanks from Space Initiatives Inc, who is helping coordinate the international spacecraft teams.

As many as 6 spacecraft could get a close-up view: NASA’s MAVEN and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ESA's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, the UAE's Hope probe, and China's Tianwen-1.

Because 3I/ATLAS is now invisible from Earth as it swings behind the sun (a blackout that will last until December) Martian spacecraft may provide the only high-quality spectra and images of the comet at its brightest. "The fleet at Mars could deliver the definitive dataset," write Eubanks and colleagues, who authored a new study urging space agencies to seize this opportunity.

When the comet passes Mars on Oct. 3rd, it will be almost bright enough to see with human eyes--about magnitude +6.7, according to Eubanks. If only humans were there to see it. Spacecraft will have to do all the work. The comet will be 0.195 AU (29 million km) from the Red Planet, giving the orbiting fleet a ringside seat.

Of all the cameras involved, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE will deliver the sharpest images: 29 km per pixel. HiRISE should resolve the comet's atmosphere (coma) with more than 850 pixels. Researchers will be on the edge of their seats to see if the camera can also glimpse the nucleus hidden within the gas cloud. Photographing the core could put to rest internet rumors that it is "alien tech."

For Eubanks, getting the maximum amount of data is a labor of love. "I have worked on this very intensively since July," says Eubanks. "As my wife would tell you, we have no funding source for this."

Mars is getting big in the window. Let the observing begin!

THE GEOMAGNETIC STORM CONTINUES: Earth's magnetic field has been vibrating for 4 consecutive days--a remarkably long-lasting geomagnetic storm. Last night, Valentin Grigore photographed the light show from Tromso, Norway:

"This outburst appeared on Oct. 1st," says Grigore. "I am leading a group of 17 Romanians to Norway to observe the auroras. I never imagined we would be able to see such a spectacular aurora storm so many nights in a row."

Thank the Russell-McPherron effect. During weeks around equinoxes, the magnetic field of the sun can connect itself to the magnetic field of the Earth. Under these circumstances, even slight gusts of solar wind ignite auroras.

Current solar wind speeds are anything but slight, with gusts topping 600 km/s. NOAA forecasters say G2-class geomagnetic storms are likely on Oct. 2nd. Five days in a row, anyone? Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free:
Spaceweather.com Newsletter

CONSTELLATION CAT NIGHT LIGHT: It's the most far-out feline night light ever--the Constellation Cat Crystal Ball. On April 23, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a giant helium balloon.

You can have it for $139.95. Outlined by stars in the style of an astronomical constellation, the laser-etched cat comes with an LED stand that produces a soothing glow for your bedside table. Also included: A unique greeting card shows the crystal ball in flight and tells the story of its journey to the edge of space.

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


Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free:
Spaceweather.com Newsletter


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 Oct 01, 2025, the network reported 24 fireballs.
(24 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 October 2, 2025 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Velocity (km/s)
Diameter (m)
2025 SW6
2025-Sep-27
2.5 LD
5.7
7
2025 TD
2025-Sep-27
2.2 LD
7.2
12
2025 SN20
2025-Sep-27
6.7 LD
8.7
18
2025 SG15
2025-Sep-27
0.9 LD
7.7
24
2025 SA1
2025-Sep-28
5 LD
8.7
20
2025 SO20
2025-Sep-28
0.4 LD
9.6
7
2025 ST6
2025-Sep-28
7.4 LD
20.5
29
2019 SF6
2025-Sep-28
20 LD
8.4
20
2025 SB21
2025-Sep-28
0.6 LD
8.1
2
2025 SS5
2025-Sep-28
0.3 LD
8
9
2025 SC4
2025-Sep-29
19.3 LD
5.5
23
2025 RH4
2025-Sep-29
17.8 LD
17.2
52
2025 TA
2025-Sep-29
6.8 LD
8.6
18
2025 SP20
2025-Sep-29
5 LD
10.9
12
152664
2025-Sep-29
10.1 LD
18.6
412
2023 EH2
2025-Sep-30
19.8 LD
17.8
51
2025 SA3
2025-Sep-30
7 LD
7.2
17
2025 SX10
2025-Sep-30
6.6 LD
3.3
9
2025 SM27
2025-Sep-30
12 LD
7.8
22
2025 TE
2025-Sep-30
0.7 LD
14.9
7
2025 TF
2025-Oct-01
0 LD
20.9
2
2025 SQ12
2025-Oct-01
17.1 LD
12.8
32
2025 SZ
2025-Oct-01
9 LD
2
8
2025 TB
2025-Oct-01
3.6 LD
11.9
17
2025 SY21
2025-Oct-01
4.5 LD
20.5
15
2025 QL23
2025-Oct-01
7.1 LD
10
75
2025 SY
2025-Oct-02
12.2 LD
5.9
14
2025 TG
2025-Oct-02
5.2 LD
6.1
14
2025 SH
2025-Oct-02
3.6 LD
3.7
12
2020 GE1
2025-Oct-02
13.7 LD
4.7
14
2025 TC
2025-Oct-03
0.2 LD
16.2
14
2025 SV6
2025-Oct-03
4.7 LD
5
13
2025 RH2
2025-Oct-03
19.6 LD
5.1
37
2025 SE29
2025-Oct-03
12.4 LD
8.6
103
2025 SZ27
2025-Oct-04
3.1 LD
16.4
32
2025 SY10
2025-Oct-05
15.7 LD
11.4
21
2025 SO27
2025-Oct-05
10.3 LD
6.5
12
2025 SN21
2025-Oct-05
7.4 LD
8.3
17
2018 SP1
2025-Oct-05
13.2 LD
16.4
85
2025 SJ22
2025-Oct-05
11.2 LD
8.4
29
2025 SC24
2025-Oct-06
11.8 LD
13.3
28
2025 SH25
2025-Oct-06
9.3 LD
12.8
16
2025 SM15
2025-Oct-07
8 LD
10.3
12
2025 SJ29
2025-Oct-08
8.4 LD
10.4
17
2022 TU1
2025-Oct-08
16.9 LD
12.9
10
2020 QU5
2025-Oct-09
7.1 LD
13.6
26
2025 SP23
2025-Oct-09
1.3 LD
14.8
29
2025 SA21
2025-Oct-09
9.3 LD
7.8
18
2025 SP15
2025-Oct-09
16.4 LD
8
36
2025 SP29
2025-Oct-10
9.7 LD
14.2
22
2025 SN29
2025-Oct-10
12.5 LD
9
21
2025 SC29
2025-Oct-14
14.9 LD
6.7
18
2022 AY5
2025-Oct-14
7.4 LD
8.4
5
2022 UY3
2025-Oct-15
10.2 LD
7.4
15
2025 SX26
2025-Oct-16
8.7 LD
8.4
20
2025 SQ27
2025-Oct-16
15.2 LD
7.5
17
2022 UU15
2025-Oct-19
14.8 LD
16.1
34
2025 SD7
2025-Oct-21
10 LD
12.6
56
2023 UK3
2025-Oct-21
6.7 LD
9
5
2024 GD2
2025-Oct-22
17.8 LD
4.2
28
2022 HM1
2025-Oct-23
15.1 LD
13.3
27
2012 TP231
2025-Oct-25
15.2 LD
6.7
37
2020 FA5
2025-Oct-26
15.7 LD
26.5
210
2009 HC
2025-Oct-26
8.6 LD
4.2
39
434196
2025-Oct-27
17.4 LD
10.9
171
2023 VK6
2025-Nov-03
7.6 LD
9.6
15
2021 VQ10
2025-Nov-08
9 LD
15
13
2019 UH7
2025-Nov-08
13.3 LD
5.8
11
2018 KC
2025-Nov-09
16 LD
9.3
11
2017 WG14
2025-Nov-09
16.7 LD
11.7
45
2020 VK4
2025-Nov-10
16.4 LD
3.8
9
2012 VC26
2025-Nov-11
13.3 LD
6.4
6
2019 VL5
2025-Nov-14
14.7 LD
9.1
24
2022 FG4
2025-Nov-17
18.7 LD
22.2
105
3361
2025-Nov-19
14.8 LD
9.1
435
2013 NJ4
2025-Nov-20
12.6 LD
6.4
12
2021 WR
2025-Nov-22
19.3 LD
10
31
516155
2025-Nov-24
12.5 LD
16.7
338
2020 WM
2025-Nov-24
17.4 LD
11.8
36
2019 UT6
2025-Nov-25
6.2 LD
12.6
147
2018 WG2
2025-Nov-27
13.5 LD
7.5
3
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 sharply 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.

  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.
SolarMonitor.org
  information about sunspots based on the latest NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary
Starlink Satellite Statistics
  current counts of failed and deployed Starlink satellites from Jonathan's Space Page. See also, all satellite statistics.
The Aerospace Corporation
  Authoritative predictions of space junk and satellite re-entries
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
Live Aurora Webcam
  from Lights over Lapland
Heliophysics
  the underlying science of space weather

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T CrB NOVA WATCH
today: m=9.7 (Oct 02.3)
yesterday: m=10.0

more: AAVSO data

Explanation: When the nova explodes, the visual magnitude of the star (m) will jump from +10 (invisible to the naked eye) to +2 (about as bright as the North Star).

A New Prediction: Astronomer Jean Schneider of the Paris observatory predicts the nova will occur around Nov. 10, 2025, or June 25, 2026, based on periodicities observed in previous eruptions. [more]



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