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~1~15~11~ Space Weather Update~ Active Sunspots Incoming~ [1]

Lia's picture

Submitted by Lia on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 05:29

PHOBOS-GRUNT RE-ENTRY TODAY: Russia's malfunctioning Mars probe, Phobos-Grunt, will re-enter the atmosphere today, creating a brilliant fireball over a still-unknown part of Earth. Best estimates [2] of the re-entry time range from 1700 UT to 2200 UT on Jan. 15th. The Aerospace Corporation has published some possible ground tracks [3].

 

ACTIVE SUNSPOTS: Crackling with C-class solar flares, a pair of active sunspots is emerging over the sun's northeastern limb. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the pair during the early hours of Jan. 15th:

 

[4]

 

These sunspots have the potential for strong eruptions. Sunspot 1401 produced an M1-flare on Jan. 14th. Two days earlier, while it was still on the farside of the sun, sunspot 1402 produced a partially-eclipsed flare of uncertain magnitude that created waves of ionization in the atmosphere over Europe.

 

NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of more M-flares during the next 24 hours. Solar flare alerts: text [5], voice [6].

 

POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS: An apparition of polar stratospheric clouds [7] is underway around the Arctic Circle. "It is almost as good as the aurora borealis," says Göran Strand, who took this picture last night from Östersund, Sweden:

 

[8]

 

Eric Schandall of Oslo, Norway, adds this report: "We have seen them for three evenings over Oslo, with the ones on Jan. 13th being the most dramatic and beautiful [9] so far."

 

Also known as "nacreous [10]" or "mother of pearl" clouds, these icy clouds form in the lower stratosphere when temperatures drop to around minus 85ºC. Sunlight shining through tiny ice particles ~10µm across produce the characteristic bright iridescent colors by diffraction and interference.

 

"Nacreous clouds far outshine and have much more vivid colours than ordinary iridescent clouds [11], which are very much poor relations and seen frequently all over the world," writes atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "Once seen they are never forgotten."

 


Solar wind
speed: 348.5 km/sec
density: 4.1 protons/cm3

explanation [12] | more data [13]
Updated: Today at 1316 UT


X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1
1101 UT Jan15
24-hr: C2 0210 UT Jan15
explanation [14] | more data [15]
Updated: Today at: 1300 UT



Daily Sun: 14 Jan 12


[16]


All of these sunspots are quiet. The chance of flares today is low. Credit: SDO/HMI



Sunspot number: 145
What is the sunspot number? [17]
Updated 13 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 13 Jan 2012

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 124 sfu

explanation [18] | more data [19]
Updated 13 Jan 2012



Current Auroral Oval:

[20]


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



Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 1
quiet
explanation [21] | more data [22]


Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.0 nT
Bz: 1.5 nT north

explanation [23] | more data [24]
Updated: Today at 1317 UT



Coronal Holes: 14 Jan 12


[25]


A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on Jan. 16-17. Credit: SDO/AIA.

Category: 

  • Ground Crew Updates [26]

Source URL: //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/11511-space-weather-update-active-sunspots-incoming

Links
[1] //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/content/11511-space-weather-update-active-sunspots-incoming
[2] http://satobs.org/seesat_ref/phsrm/Fobos-Grunt_decay_estimates_v10.pdf
[3] http://reentrynews.aero.org/2011065a.html
[4] http://spaceweather.com/images2012/15jan12/hmi4096_blank.jpg?PHPSESSID=9tbr1kukq0gcc8upfvenr8qrt1
[5] http://spaceweathertext.com/
[6] http://spaceweatherphone.com/
[7] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/psc1.htm
[8] http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=GApran-Strand-GS_20120113_Nacreous_0023_1326482881.jpg
[9] http://spaceweather.com/submissions/large_image_popup.php?image_name=Eric-Schandall-1-Nacreous-Clouds-13.01_1326475532.jpg
[10] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/highsky/nacr1.htm
[11] http://www.atoptics.co.uk/droplets/irid1.htm
[12] http://spaceweather.com/glossary/solarwinddata.html
[13] http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ace/MAG_SWEPAM_24h.html
[14] http://spaceweather.com/glossary/flareclasses.html
[15] http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_5m.html
[16] http://spaceweather.com/images2012/14jan12/hmi4096_blank.jpg?PHPSESSID=9tbr1kukq0gcc8upfvenr8qrt1
[17] http://spaceweather.com/glossary/sunspotnumber.html
[18] http://www.ips.gov.au/Educational/2/2/5
[19] http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/f10.gif
[20] http://www.sec.noaa.gov/pmap/gif/pmapN.gif
[21] http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/kp.html
[22] http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/kp_3d.html
[23] http://spaceweather.com/glossary/imf.html
[24] http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ace/MAG_24h.html
[25] http://spaceweather.com/images2012/14jan12/coronalhole_sdo_blank.jpg?PHPSESSID=9tbr1kukq0gcc8upfvenr8qrt1
[26] //soundofheart.org/galacticfreepress/category/type-post/galactic-free-press/ground-crew-updates