12~3~1~~Space Weather Update~ The Huge Eruption~ [1]

~Space Weather Update~ 12~3~11~ The Huge Eruption~

ERUPTING FILAMENT: Today, with little warning, a magnetic filament rapidly erupted on the sun. Between 10:30 and 11:30 UT, observers in Europe watched tendrils of hot plasma rocket away from the sun's NW limb. Debris from the explosion is not expected to hit Earth.

David Evans [2]

[3]

Solar wind
speed: 465.0 km/sec
density: 4.8 protons/cm³
explanation [4] | more data [5]
Updated: Today at 0215 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1 2119 UT Dec03
24-hr: C1 1123 UT Dec03
explanation [6] | more data [7]
Updated: Today at: 2359 UT

Daily Sun: 03 Dec 11

[8]

New sunspot 1365 is growing rapidly. Credit: SDO/HMI

Sunspot number: 106
What is the sunspot number? [9]
Updated 02 Dec 2011

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days
Updated 02 Dec 2011

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 157 sfu
explanation [10] | more data [11]
Updated 02 Dec 2011

Current Auroral Oval:

[12]

Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3 quiet
explanation [13] | more data [14]

Interplanetary Mag. Field
B_total: 4.5 nT
B_z: 1.8 nT south
explanation [15] | more data [16]
Updated: Today at 0215 UT

Coronal Holes: 03 Dec 11

[17]

Earth is inside a minor solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole. Credit: SDO/AIA.

NORTHERN LIGHTS: Auroras are flickering around the Arctic Circle in response to a minor solar wind stream, which is buffeting Earth's magnetic field. Ronn Murray sends this Dec. 3rd snapshot from Murphy Dome in Fairbanks, Alaska:

[18]

"I photographed my friend Marketa enjoying the view during a very beautful spell of auroras," says Murray.

The lights were caused not by a strong magnetic storm but rather by small magnetic fluctuations in the solar wind. During the early hours of Dec. 3rd, the IMF [19] tipped south, partially cancelling Earth's north-pointing magnetic field; solar wind poured through the breach to fuel the display. NOAA forecasters estimate a 14% chance of similar events tonight.