~Space Weather Update~ Quiet Sun~ Magical Aurora's~ Wind Speed 379 [1]
QUIET OUTLOOK: The sun is peppered with sunspots, but none of them is actively flaring. Solar activity should remain low for the next 24 hours with only a slight chance of M-class [2] solar flares. Solar flare alerts: text [3], voice [4].
ISS-VENUS ENCOUNTER: Last night, on Valentine's Eve, the International Space Station paid a visit to the Goddess of Love. "Just after sunset on on Feb. 13th, I saw the ISS pass directly in front of Venus," reports Glenn Wester, who photographed the encounter over Long Island, New York:
It could happen again tonight. The space station is making a series of bright passes over North America, zipping among the glittering stars and planets of the winter sunset sky. Local flyby times are available from SpaceWeather's Simple Satellite Tracker [6] and Flybys App [7].
more images: from Malcolm Park [8] of Cobourg, Ontario, Canada; from Robert Sparks [9] of Tucson, Arizona
AURORA WATCH: A slight disturbance in the solar wind on Feb. 12-13 was enough to ignite auroras around the Arctic Circle. On Moose mountain, near Fairbanks Alaska, cross-country skiers Marketa Stanczykova and Ronn Murray stopped to photograph the display:
"The auroras were magical ... like always," says Stanczykova.
By all accounts, it was a good night to be out. "The sky was very clear, the moon had not yet risen, and above all it was warm: near +15!" reports LeRoy Zimmerman from Chandalar Ranch, also near Fairbanks. "There was a Japanese aurora tour on the property, and this was their first view of auroras. It is always great to be with a group of first-timers and hear the cheers and squeals as they see this wonder for the first time!" Zimmerman documented the event in a series of panoramic photos [11].
more images: from Lurie Belegurschi [12] of Iceland; from Chad Blakley [13] of Abisko National Park, Sweden; from Yuichi Takasaka [14] of Chandalar Ranch, Two River, Alaska; from Greg Lacy [15] on the Yukon River 150 miles from Fairbanks, Alaska; from Carlos López [16] of Karasjok, Norway
Solar wind
speed: 379.2 km/sec
density: 0.2 protons/cm3
explanation [17] | more data [18]
Updated: Today at 1405 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B3 1143 UT Feb14
24-hr: B3 1143 UT Feb14
explanation [19] | more data [20]
Updated: Today at: 1400 UT
Daily Sun: 14 Feb 12
None of the these sunspots is actively flaring. Solar activity is low. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 59
What is the sunspot number? [22]
Updated 13 Feb 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 Feb 2012
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 108 sfu
explanation [23] | more data [24]
Updated 13 Feb 2012
Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3 quiet
explanation [26] | more data [27]
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 6.6 nT
Bz: 6 nT south
explanation [28] | more data [29]
Updated: Today at 1407 UT
Coronal Holes: 14 Feb 12
Solar wind flowing from this coronal hole could reach Earth on Feb. 17-18. However, the solar wind stream is likely to sail south of our planet, making little impact. Credit: SDO/AIA.
Category:
- Ground Crew Updates [32]