Solar and Aurora Activity Chat

[Polar Maritime]

Edited May 6, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

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.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5J7At1_WGg&list=UUIp0KTgnQNZJIOQZqrVDw1g&index=2&feature=plcp

Edited May 7, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[Scorcher]

It's interesting that since the last time I checked SpaceWeather.com, the Planetary K-index has changed from 'quiet' to 'unsettled', perhaps not the best news for those wanting the sun to remain quiet.

[Polar Maritime]

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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.

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.

A pair of CMEs en route to Earth could add to the effect of the solar wind stream, igniting even brighter auroras during the next 24-48 hours. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of geomagnetic storms on May 9th.

Edited May 9, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIpkPjn-11o&list=UUIp0KTgnQNZJIOQZqrVDw1g&index=1&feature=plcp

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. Solar flare alerts: text, phone.

Earlier today, amateur astronomer Thomas Ashcraft of New Mexico detected strong shortwave radio bursts coming from the sunspot. Click to hear the "solar static" that roared out of his loudspeaker:

Dynamic spectrum courtesy of Wes Greenman, Alachua Radio Observatory

"The strongest burst so far occured around 1631 UT on May 9th," reports Ashcraft. "I am observing at 28 MHz and 21.1 MHz. As I send this note I am hearing more bursting, indicating powerful magnetic dynamism within active region 1476."

Solar radio bursts are caused by plasma instabilities that ripple through the sun's atmosphere in the aftermath of powerful flares. With AR1476 poised for more eruptions, this 'radio activity' is likely to continue for days. Stay tuned.

NORTHERN LIGHTS: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of May 8th, stirring geomagnetic activity and auroras at high latitudes. Zoltan Kenwell photographed the display from a dark-sky site 120km northeast of Edmonton, Alberta:

"The frogs by the lake were deafening!" says Kenwell. "The show began very slowly around 10:00pm MST and was done around 1:00am MST. Temperatures of +12 deg C made for a very enjoyable night while taking in a splendid display."

A pair of CMEs en route to Earth could add to the effect of the solar wind stream, igniting even brighter auroras during the next 24-48 hours. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of geomagnetic storms on May 9th.

more images: from Paul Beebe of Upsala, Ontario, Canada; from Bob Conzemius of Bovey, Minnesota; from Olivier Du Tré of Cochrane, Alberta; from Matt Melnyk of Edmonton, Alberta; from Steve Milner of Ft St John, British Columbia; from Katie Woodford of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada; from Graeme Whipps of Aberdeenshire, Scotland; from Adrian Maricic of Loch Leven, Fife, Scotland; from Ronan Newman of Charlestown, Co Mayo, Ireland; from Martin McKenna of Mussenden Temple, N. Ireland;

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Edited May 10, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllr-7rItTI&list=UUIp0KTgnQNZJIOQZqrVDw1g&index=1&feature=plcp

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.

http://www.spaceweather.com/

Edited May 10, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

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:

The blast, which almost crossed the threshold into X-territory, did not produce a significant coronal mass ejection (CME). "There seemed to be no CME due to the fact that the plasma was captured and dragged back down to the sun," notes Maidment.

more images: from Sylvain Chapeland of Pays de Gex, France; from David Cortnerof Rutherford College, NC; from Jett Aguilar of Quezon City, Philippines; from Rogerio Marcon of Campinas SP Brasil; from Paul Maxson of Surprise, Arizona; from Rusty Venture of Naperville, Illinois; from Richard Wagner of Lincolnshire, Illinois; from Larry Alvarez of Flower Mound, Texas

WHAT DOES A SUNSPOT SOUND LIKE? On May 9th, amateur astronomer Thomas Ashcraft of New Mexico detected strong shortwave radio bursts coming from sunspot AR1476. Click to hear the "solar static" that roared out of his loudspeaker:

Dynamic spectrum courtesy of Wes Greenman, Alachua Radio Observatory

"The strongest burst so far occured around 1631 UT on May 9th," reports Ashcraft. "I am observing at 28 MHz and 21.1 MHz. As I send this note I am hearing more bursting, indicating powerful magnetic dynamism within active region 1476."

Solar radio bursts are caused by plasma instabilities that ripple through the sun's atmosphere in the aftermath of powerful flares. With AR1476 poised for more eruptions, this 'radio activity' is likely to continue for days. Stay tuned.

SUNSPOT SUNRISE: Sunspot AR1476 is so large, people are noticing it without the aide of a solar telescope. The behemoth appears at sunrise and sunset when the light of the low-hanging sun is occasionally dimmed to human visibility. Stefano De Rosa sends this picture from Turin, Italy:

Photo details: Canon Eos 5D Mark II; Focal length:700mm; Exp: 1/8000 sec; F/40; ISO:50

"This morning the sight of the majestic sunspot AR 1476 was great as the sun was rising alongside the Basilica of Superga!" says De Rosa.

The sunspot looks a lot like Hawaii, but it is much bigger than any island on Earth. From end to end the sprawling active region stretches ~160,000 km, or a dozen times wider than our entire planet. If you have a sunspot telescope, take a look. The view is magnificent.

more images: from William Parker of Port Angeles, WA; from Alberto Lao of Binondo, Manila, Philippines; from Tom Murdic of Franklin, Tennessee; from Jett Aguilar of Quezon City, Philippines;

Caution: Even when the sun is dimmed by clouds and haze, looking into the glare can damage your eyes. Looking through unfiltered optics is even worse. If you chose to photograph the low sun with a digital camera, please use the camera's LCD screen for pointing. Do not peer through the optical viewfinder. http://www.spaceweather.com/

Edited May 11, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2tSGVnGPfk&list=UUIp0KTgnQNZJIOQZqrVDw1g&index=1&feature=plcp

Edited May 11, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[chrisb1357]

Any chance of seeing anything tonight in the UK?

[Polar Maritime]

Any chance of seeing anything tonight in the UK?

Plenty of activity on the sun over the last few weeks, and will continue over the coming months. Geomagnetic storms will be quite over the next few days, but with active sun spot

AR1476 directly facing our planet and producing M class flares there is a good chance of auroral activity over the coming weeks at high latitudes.

SPACESHIP IN THE SUN: The sunspot number briefly jumped today when a winged silhouette crossed the solar disk over Hampshire, UK. James West was watching the sun with a solar-filtered telescope when the transit occured:

"The International Space Station passed right by giant sunspot AR1476," says West. "The sky was partly cloudy but I caught the transit anyway."

The sunspot-spaceship encounter was no surprise to West. It had been predicted beforehand by CalSky.org. Readers who wish to take this kind of photo should check CalSky for transit predictions and read West's observing tips. A safe solar observing system might also come in handy: Space Weather Store. http://www.spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

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.Magnetic storm alerts: text, phone.

AURORAS FROM 20,000 FEET: A solar wind stream hit Earth on May 9th, rattling our planet's magnetic field with reverberations that lasted nearly three days. Most of the resultant auroras were overwhelmed by the midnight sun at high latitudes. Most, but not all. Flying photographer Matt Melnyk found a window of visibility at 20,000 ft:

"I was travelling from Edmonton, Alberta, to Yellowknife NWT between 1:00 am and 3:30 am on May 11th when I witnessed this dramatic display," says Melnyk. "With 0% light pollution at 20,000 feet, the cockpit of the aircraft offers a great view for the aurora."

More auroras could be in the offing. A CME is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on May 14th. NOAA forecasters estimate a 20% to 30% chance of geomagnetic activity when the cloud arrives. Observing tip: Pick the window seat. Magnetic storm alerts: text, phone.

more images: from Paul Beebe of Worthy Lake, Upsala, Ontario, Canada. http://www.spaceweather.com/

Edited May 13, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Solar maximum is coming in 2013. How will space weather affect you? To answer that question, experts from around the world are gathering for the Space Weather Enterprise Forum (SWEF) on June 5, 2012, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. To learn more and register, please visit the SWEF web site at http://www.nswp.gov/swef/swef_2012.html.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

RADIATION STORM UNDERWAY: Energetic solar protons are swirling around Earth following an M5-class solar flare from departing sunspot 1476. The sunspot erupted on May 17th around 0130 UT. This radiation storm ranks S2 on NOAA storm scales, which means it is a moderate event capable of confusing spacecraft imaging systems and causing 'single event upsets' in orbiting electronics. http://www.spaceweather.com/

http://iswa.ccmc.gsf...0!GOES-13.P100!

Edited May 17, 2012 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

How Big Are Sunspots?

Sunspots from today and from 65 years ago, with planet sizes for comparison.

The short answer? Really big. The long answer? Really, really big.

The image above shows sunspot regions in comparison with the sizes of Earth and Jupiter, demonstrating the sheer enormity of these solar features.

Sunspots are regions where the Sun’s internal magnetic fields rise up through its surface layers, preventing convection from taking place and creating cooler, optically darker areas. They often occur in pairs or clusters, with individual spots corresponding to the opposite polar ends of magnetic lines.

(Read “What Are Sunspots?â€)

The image on the left was acquired by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on May 11, 2012, showing Active Region 11476. The one on the right comes courtesy of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and shows the largest sunspot ever captured on film, AR 14886. It was nearly the diameter of Jupiter — 88,846 miles (142,984 km)!

“The largest sunspots tend to occur after solar maximum and the larger sunspots tend to last longer as well,†writes SDO project scientist Dean Pesnell on the SDO is GO blog. “As we move through solar maximum in the northern hemisphere and look to the south to pick up the slack there should be plenty of sunspots to watch rotate by SDO.â€

Sunspots are associated with solar flares and CMEs, which can send solar storms our way and negatively affect satellite operation and impact communications and sensitive electronics here on Earth. As we approach the peak of the current solar maximum cycle, it’s important to keep an eye — or a Solar Dynamics Observatory! — on the increasing activity of our home star. http://www.universetoday.com/95232/how-big-are-sunspots/