Earth & Space Weather

Space Weather Update~ A radiation storm around Earth is subsiding.

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SUBSIDING STORM: A radiation storm around Earth is subsiding. The storm began during the early hours of May 17th when a strong M5-class flre accelerated a fusillade of solar protons in our direction. At its peak, the S2-class storm was capable of confusing spacecraft imaging systems and causing 'single event upsets' in orbiting electronics. Radiation storm alerts: text, phone.

 

SOLAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEKEND: On Sunday, May 20th, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, producing an annular solar eclipse visible across the Pacific side of Earth. The path of annularity, where the sun will appear to be a "ring of fire" stretches from China and Japan to the middle of North America:

 

 

An animated eclipse map prepared by Larry Koehn of ShadowandSubstance.com shows the best times to look. In the United States, the eclipse begins at 5:30 pm PDT and last for two hours. Maximum coverage is around 6:30 pm PDT.

 

~Space Weather Update~ Solar Activity Low~

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VENUS TRANSFORMED: Something special is happening to Venus in the evening sky. The second planet is diving toward the sun for a much-anticipated transit on June 5-6. As Venus turns its night side toward Earth, the planet is transforming into a beautifully slender and colorful crescent:

 

 

John Chumack of Dayton, Ohio, took the picture on May 14th using a 10-inch telescope. "I was blown away by the sight of Venus," he says. "The planet was 14% illuminated, 47 arcseconds in diameter, and blazing at -4.43 magnitude."

 

The crescent shape of Venus is easy to see in good binoculars or small telescopes. No special observing experience is required. Just find Venus in the western sky after sunset (you can't miss it), point and look. A good tripod to hold the optics steady is recommended.

~Space Weather Update~ Good Bye to Our Big Sunspot~

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MENACE UNREALIZED: After more than a week of solar storm warnings, sunspot AR1476 is turning away from Earth with a mostly unblemished record of quiet. The decaying behemoth never lived up to its potential as a source of X-class solar flares. It did, however, make a great target for astrophotographers. Even now the sunspot is decorating sunsets around the world:

 

 

Russ Vallelunga took the picture on May 14th from Papago Park in Phoenix, Arizona. "Wildfires around the Phoenix metropolitan area led to a dim setting sun," says Vallelunga. "This allowed me to capture the sunspots 1476 and 1478 with an exposure of 1/125 second at ISO 100." More photo details may be found here.

 

NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% chance of M-class flares and no more than a 1% chance of X-flares from AR1476 during the next 24 hours. The chance of photo-ops: 100%.

 

~Space Weather Update~ CME Targets Earth to Hit Today~

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CME TARGETS EARTH, MARS: A coronal mass ejection could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field today, May 14th. The cloud is passing by en route to Mars. NOAA forecasters estimate a 15% to 25% chance of minor geomagnetic storms during the next 24 hours. Magnetic storm alerts: text, phone.

 

CHINESE SPACE STATION TRANSITS THE SUN: Solar photographers have grown accustomed to winged spaceships flying in front of the sun. For years, silhouettes of space shuttles and the International Space Station have flitted across the solar disk, producing photo-ops of rare beauty. Now China's space station, the Tiangong-1 ("Heavenly Palace 1"), is joining the show. On May 11th, perhaps for the first time, Thierry Legault of Paris, France, caught the newcomer transiting the sun:

 

 

~Space Weather Update~ Active Region Has Been Calm~

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INCOMING CME: On May 11th, a coronal mass ejection raced away from the sun traveling ~1000 km/s. The fast-moving cloud will deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on May 14th around 14:30 UT, according to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab. Mars is also in the line of fire.

 

UNSET OVER PARIS: Huge sunspot AR1476 poses a threat for strong solar flares, but for the past two days the so-called "active region" has been mostly quiet. What the sunspot lacks in drama, however, it more than makes up for in beauty. Consider this photo of Friday night's sunset over Paris:

 

 

"Shooting from the Bridge of Concorde, I captured the sunspot setting behind the Eiffel Tower," says photographer VegaStar Carpentier. The light of the low-hanging sun was perfectly dimmed for a 1/1000s exposure @ ISO 400. "I used a Canon EOS 1000D."

~Space Weather Update~ Chance of X Class Solar Flare Earth Directed~

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CHANCE OF FLARES, EARTH-DIRECTED: NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class solar flares and a 20% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. Any eruptions are likely to be geoeffective because the source, sunspot AR1476, is directly facing our planet. X-flare alerts: text, phone.

 

Yesterday, May 10th, amateur astronomer David Maidment of Sohar, Oman caught the active region in mid-flare during a strong M5-class eruption:

~Space Weather Update~ Sun Intensifies~ Harboring X Class Flares

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SOLAR ACTIVITY INTENSIFIES: Huge sunspot AR1476 is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing something even stronger. The sunspot's 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind. Earth is entering the line of fire as the sunspot rotates across the face of the sun.

 

This morning, May 10th around 0418 UT, sunspot 1476 unleashed an impulsive M5-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

 

 

Apparently, the almost-X class explosion did not hurl a significant CME toward Earth. NOAA forecasters estimate a 65% chance of more M-class flares and a 10% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. X-flare alerts: text, phone.

 

~Space Weather Update~ Several M Class Flares Inside A Solar Wind~

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CHANCE OF FLARES: Huge sunspot AR1476 is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing even stronger blasts. The sunspot's 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind. Eruptions in the days ahead will likely be geoeffective as the sunspot turns to face Earth. Solar flare alerts: text, phone.

 

NORTHERN LIGHTS: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of May 8th, stirring geomagnetic activity and auroras over parts of Europe. Graeme Whipps photographed the display from Scotland:

"A fantastic green and purple arc was clearly visible in the late twilight glow over Aberdeenshire," says Whipps. "I wasn't expecting this!" The full-sized image also frames a meteor slicing through the Northern Lights.

~Space Weather Update~ Twin CME's M Class Earth Directed!! Chance for X Class

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TWO INCOMING CMEs: A pair of solar eruptions on May 7th hurled coronal masss ejections (CMEs) toward Earth. Forecast tracks prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab suggests that clouds with arrive in succession on May 9th at 13:40 UT and May 10th at 07:54 UT (+/- 7 hours). The double impact could spark moderate geomagnetic storms. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Magnetic storm alerts: text, phone.

 

CORONAL HOLE: A dark hole in the sun's atmosphere (a 'coronal hole') is spewing a stream of solar wind toward Earth. The impact of the stream, expected on May 9-11, could add to the effect of the incoming CMEs, boosting the chances of strong geomagnetic activity later this week. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory took this picture of the opening on May 8th:

 

 

~Space Weather Update~ Big Sunspot Producing M Class Flares

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BIG SUNSPOT: One of the largest sunspot groups in years rotated over the sun's northeastern limb this weekend. With a least four dark cores larger than Earth, AR1476 sprawls more than 100,000 km from end to end, and makes an easy target for backyard solar telescopes. Amateur astronomer Alan Friedman sends this picture of the behemoth from his backyard in Buffalo, NY:

 

"AR1476 is firecrackler," says Friedman.

 

Indeed, the active region is crackling with impulsive M-class solar flares. Based on the sunspot's complex 'beta-gamma' magnetic field, NOAA forecasters estimate a 70% chance of more M-flares during the next 24 hours. There is also a 5% chance of powerful X-flares.

 

"This one is going to be fun as turns to face us!" predicts Friedman. He might be right. Solar flare alerts: text, phone.

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