SOHO LASCO C2 Latest Image

ALMOST-X FLARE: Today at 1814 UT, Earth-orbiting satellites detected an impulsive M9-class solar flare. The source was an active region just behind the sun's southeastern limb. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash: image. Radio blackouts and ionization waves in the upper atmosphere are possible on the dayside of Earth as a result of this event.

On Oct. 20th at 1814 UT, Earth-orbiting satellites detected a strong M9-class solar flare. The source was a new sunspot, AR1598, emerging over the sun’s southeastern limb. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash (image), which sent waves of ionization rippling through Earth’s upper atmosphere. More flares are in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-flares and a 10% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours.

ACTIVE SUNSPOT : New sunspot AR1598 is crackling with C- and M-class solar flares. One of the explosions, an M9-flare on Oct. 20th, produced a bright flash of extreme UV radiation recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:


Radiation from the flare sent a wave of ionization rippling through Earth's upper atmosphere, temporarily disturbing the transmission of low-frequency radio signals around Europe and North America. The sunspot has also produced at least one bright CME (movie), but Earth was not in the line of fire.

More flares are in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of M-flares and a 5% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours.

This is an excellent link: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ibex/multimedia/013112-briefing-materials.html

ScienceDaily (Oct. 23, 2012) — The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at 11:17 p.m. EDT. The flare came from an active region on the left side of the sun that has been numbered AR 1598, which has already been the source of a number of weaker flares. This flare was classified as an X1.8-class flare. "X-class" denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 is twice as intense as an X1, an X3 is three times as intense, and on. An X-class flare of this intensity can cause degradation or blackouts of radio communications for about an hour.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This can disrupt radio signals for anywhere from minutes to hours. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, since the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in 2013.

This flare did not have an associated Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth.

VIDEO: http://www.spaceweather.com/images2012/23oct12/X1flare.mp4?PHPSESSID=hqm4h0ukehi2p4vhfbu75gs4u4
X-FLARE: New sunspot AR1598 has erupted again. On Oct. 23rd at 0322 UT, Earth orbiting satellites detected a strong X1-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash: Radiation from the flare created waves of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia and Australia (the daylit side of Earth) and possibly HF radio blackouts at high latitudes. The blast did not, however, produce a significant coronal mass ejection (CME). No auroras are expected to result from this event.

This is the 4th significant flare from AR1598 since it emerged over the southeastern limb only three days ago. This means more flares are probably in the offing, and they will become increasingly Earth-directed as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the days ahead.

CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class solar flares and a 20% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. The most likely source is active sunspot AR1598. X-FLARE: Sunspot AR1598 erupted on Oct. 23rd at 0322 UT, producing a strong X1-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash: Radiation from the flare created waves of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia and Australia (the daylit side of Earth) and possibly HF radio blackouts at high latitudes. The blast did not, however, produce a significant coronal mass ejection (CME). No auroras are expected to result from this event.

This is the 4th significant flare from AR1598 since it emerged over the southeastern limb only three days ago. This means more flares are probably in the offing, and they will become increasingly Earth-directed as the sunspot turns toward our planet in the days ahead.

SUBSIDING CHANCE OF FLARES: Sunspot AR1598 has decayed since it unleashed an X1-class solar flare on Oct. 23rd. The daily odds of a similar eruption from the active region have dropped to only 5%, according to NOAA forecasters. Strong flares are still a possibility. Sunspot AR1598 has a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class eruptions.

SLOW ERUPTION: The magnetic canopy of a sunspot group just over the sun's southwestern limb slowly erupted on Oct. 28th. When the hours-long eruption was over, this bright arcade formed over the blast site, marking the location where the explosion occured: Arcade loops appear after many solar flares. It is how the magnetic fields of sunspots settle down after a significant eruption. This particular eruption hurled a massive CME into space, but Earth was not in the line of fire.

CME IMPACT: A coronal mass ejection hit Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 31st around 1530 UT. The impact jolted Earth's polar magnetic field and sparked auroras around the Arctic Circle. Frank Olsen sends this picture from Sortland, Norway. A minor solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on Nov. 3-4.

THREE CMEs: A sequence of magnetic filament eruptions around the sun's western limb propelled three CMEs into space on Nov. 3rd. Click on the image to view a SOHO coronagraph movie of the expanding clouds: Only one of the CMEs appears to be (slightly) Earth directed. If so, it would add to the impact of a minor solar wind stream already en route to our planet, due to arrive on Nov. 4-5. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for Northern Lights in that time frame.

CORONAL HOLE: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is monitoring a dark hole in the sun's atmosphere, a "coronal hole." It is near the sun's western limb in this extreme ultraviolet image taken during the early hours of Nov. 5th: Coronal holes are places where the sun's magnetic field opens up and allows the solar wind to escape. A stream of solar wind flowing from this coronal hole is expected to reach Earth on Nov. 6th. Polar sky watchers should be alert for auroras when it arrives.

M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: The week-long spell of solar quiet was broken this morning, Nov. 8th, when a new sunspot unleashed an M1.7-class flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme UV flash: Because of the blast site's location on the sun's northeastern limb, Earth was not in the line of fire. It will take about a week for this new active region to turn squarely toward our planet. Stay tuned for updates as the chance of geoeffective flares increases in the days ahead.

Solar wind speed: 413.1 km/sec
density: 3.3 protons/cm3

TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN: Scientists and sky watchers are converging on the northeast coast of Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef, for a total eclipse of the sun on Nov. 13/14. For researchers, the brief minutes of totality open a window into some of the deepest mysteries of solar physics. http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/07nov_totaleclipse/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn5nKlMY5cI

FARSIDE EXPLOSION: As solar activity picks up on the Earthside of the sun (see "Broken Quiet" below), the farside of the sun is coming alive, too. During the early hours of Nov. 9th, a magnetic filament located behind the sun's southeastern limb erupted, hurling a bright coronal mass ejection (CME) into space:

This explosion was not geoeffective, but future explosions might be. The blast site, still potent, is just days away from rotating onto the Earthside of the sun.

Solar activity took a jump over the last 48 hours producing a least one M-class flare and a following CME. The event occurred on Nov. 8th from sunspot region 1611 as it's coming around the eastern limb of the Sun.

A CME was observed in association with this event, it showed to have a significant release, however, due to its position no geomagnetic should be set off from it outward blast. There was a brief period of active geomagnetic conditions late on Nov. 7th at planetary level, from 18 to 21 UT, but the cause of this activity is not clear at the moment.

A Magnetic Filament has erupted around AR 11608 while in an earth facing position. The eruption produced a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) with components heading towards earth. ETA or impact is forecasted for Nov 13th

Space weather site temporarily down. Incoming earth directed CME components.

INCOMING CMES: A pair of minor CMEs is heading for Earth. They were launched on Nov. 9th and 10th, respectively, and are expected to merge into a single cloud before they reach our planet on Nov. 12th. NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of polar geomagnetic storms in the next 24 hours.

From a member here....

CME IMPACT: An interplanetary shock wave (probably the leading edge of a CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on Nov. 12th at approximately 2300 UT, filling skies over northern Scandinavia with bright auroras. Oskar Pettersson sends this picture from Luleå, Sweden:


"Half of the sky was green and I stayed out for 5 hours observing the dancing light befor heading home," says Pettersson.

More auroras are in the offing as Earth passes through the magnetized wake of the CME. Our planet's polar magnetic field is currently unsettled, and this could be a sign that storms are brewing at high-latitudes.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM UNDERWAY: A moderately strong (Kp=6) geomagnetic storm is underway on Nov. 13th as Earth passes through the wake of a CME that swept past our planet yesterday. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras

SUBSIDING STORM: Last night, Nov. 13/14, Northern Lights spilled across the Canadian border into the United States during a moderately strong (Kp=6) geomagnetic storm. Spotters report bright auroras over Michigan, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The storm, which is subsiding now, flared up as Earth passed through the wake of a CME that swept past our planet on Nov. 13th.

Satellite data show that the most intense auroras were located over Northern Europe. Photographer Ole C. Salomonsen sends this picture from Tromsø, Norway: http://www.spaceweather.com

More auroras could be in tthe offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of strong geomagnetic storms during the next 24 hours.

SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Nov. 13th, thousands of people gathered gathered along the beaches of Queensland, Australia, near Cairns and Port Douglas, to witness a total eclipse of the sun. Clouds threatened to spoil the show, but a last-minute parting revealed what everyone had come to see:

CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class solar flares and a 5% chance of X-flares today. The most likely source would be sunspot AR1613, which has an unstable magnetic field. Because AR1613 is directly facing Earth, any eruptions from the active region will almost certainly be geoeffective. Solar Wind Speed: 417.5

HUMONGOUS ERUPTION: A truly gigantic explosion happened on the sun yesterday. On Nov. 16th, magnetic fields snaking halfway across the sun's southern hemisphere erupted in tandem, producing a prominence so big, it doesn't fit inside this image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): The blast hurled a CME into space, but the cloud does not appear to be heading for Earth.

November 18, 2012 - SUN – A truly gigantic explosion happened on the sun yesterday. On Nov. 16th, magnetic fields snaking halfway across the sun’s southern hemisphere erupted in tandem, producing a prominence so big, it doesn’t fit inside this image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO): “The red-glowing looped material is plasma, a hot gas made of electrically charged hydrogen and helium,” officials with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which oversees the SDO mission, explained in a description. “The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun’s internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.” The blast hurled a CME into space, but the cloud does not appear to be heading for Earth. –Space Weather

We are passing through a rare singular series of events in history that are coinciding by occurrence: a total solar eclipse, the peak of the Leonid meteor shower, and a large explosion occurring on the Sun; in effect, signs in the sun, moon, and stars all transpiring within days of each other. These celestial events are happening at the time a war wages around Jerusalem, a city considered holy to the world’s three major faiths: Jews, Christians, and Muslims. –The Extinction Protocol