1~8~11~ Space Weather Update ~ Expanding Sunspot and the Sun Dragon~ [1]
EXPANDING SUNSPOT: Sunspot 1393 is growing rapidly, more than tripling in area since Friday. So far, however, the active region has not produced any strong flares. Solar activity remains low.
GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY: Forecasters said a CME might deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 7th, and indeed it might have. There was no sharp change in the solar wind speed signaling a CME's passage. There was, however, a surge in ground currents in northern Norway during the late hours of Jan. 7th. Rob Stammes recorded the disturbance [2] from his laboratory in Lofoten. Ground currents often herald auroras, and true to form the skies turned vivid green:
"We witnessed a brief but beautiful outburst of auroras," says photographer Bjørn Jørgensen of Sommaroy, Norway. "Even the sea has turned green from the color of the auroras."
Solar wind
speed: 443.6 km/sec
density: 2.2 protons/cm3
explanation [4] | more data [5]
Updated: Today at 1343 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1 0806 UT Jan08
24-hr: C4 0227 UT Jan08
explanation [6] | more data [7]
Updated: Today at: 1300 UT
Daily Sun: 08 Jan 12
Sunspot 1393 is growing rapidly while a new sunspot (circled) is emerging over the northeast limb. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 110
What is the sunspot number? [9]
Updated 07 Jan 2012
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
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 07 Jan 2012
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 141 sfu
explanation [10] | more data [11]
Updated 07 Jan 2012
Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2 quiet
explanation [13] | more data [14]
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.7 nT
Bz: 2.7 nT north
explanation [15] | more data [16]
Updated: Today at 1346 UT
Coronal Holes: 08 Jan 12
A minor solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on Jan. 13-14. Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2012 Jan 07 2200 UTC
Geomagnetic Storms:
Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active [18], minor storm [18], severe storm [18]
Updated at: 2012 Jan 07 2200 UTC
Category:
- Ground Crew Updates [19]