Solar and Aurora Activity Chat

[Polar Maritime]

SOLAR WIND: Earth is entering a stream of solar wind flowing from a coronal hole on the sun. In response, NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on April 15th. http://spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

Inverness last night..

 

[Polar Maritime]

Many sightings of Aurora last night over Scotland. Oban/Stornoway/And the Village of Gress... As Kp levels reached 6 and continue pretty hight this morning.

 

[Polar Maritime]

Another great shot from the Isle Of Sky last night.

[Crepuscular Ray]

Very quiet sun!      www.spaceweather.com

Rather spottier now.

[Polar Maritime]

CHANCE OF EARTH-DIRECTED FLARES: So far on April 17th, solar activity is low. Sunspot AR2321 is poised to break the quiet. The sprawling sunspot group is directly facing Earth and has an unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for significant eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate 40% chance of M-flares and a 10% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. http://spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

Some lovely Aurora last night over Scotland again, Not mine.. But this image was taken near North Berwick looking out towards the Bass Rock.

 

[Polar Maritime]

CHANCE OF EARTH-DIRECTED FLARES: Solar activity is low, but sunspot AR2321 is poised to break the quiet. The sprawling sunspot group is directly facing Earth and has an unstable 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for significant eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate 40% chance of M-flares and a 10% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. http://spaceweather.com/

[Polar Maritime]

Castlehill last night in the North Coast of Scotland.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

Quite a few M flares over the last 48hours with activity picking up.

 

 After days of low solar activity, explosions have commenced on both sides of the sun. Sunspot AR2322 near the sun's western limb has unleashed four M-class solar flares in the past 12 hours alone, while a magnetic filament rose up on the sun's eastern limb, creating a magnificent prominence.  http://spaceweather.com/

Edited April 22, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[keithlucky]

Solar cycle 24 shows rapid decline all the way to 2020

[Crepuscular Ray]

Well, that's only to be expected as we go to solar minimum, innit! It still doesn't mean it's going to snow all over South Wales for four months each winter between now and the uptick in activity leading to the next solar maximum, though...

Edited April 23, 2015 by Crepuscular Ray

[Polar Maritime]

EXPLOSION ON THE SUN: For days, astronomers have been monitoring amagnificent filament of magnetism stretching across the face of the sun. This morning, April 28th, it erupted. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5T5rP-NSBM

Hurled upward by magnetic instabilities, the erupting filament split the sun's atmosphere, creating a "canyon of fire." The glowing walls of the canyon trace the original channel where the filament was suspended by magnetic forces above the sun's surface. From end to end, the structure stretches more than 350,000 km--areal Grand Canyon: http://spaceweather.com/

Edited April 29, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[Yarmy]

2014 : maximum year for solar cycle 24

 

http://sidc.oma.be/silso/news004

[keithlucky]

Projection of SC24 is for it to be in rapid decline for the next few years...acid test will it be  a COOLING trend

Edited May 4, 2015 by keithlucky

[Crepuscular Ray]

And, back in the world of the observed rather than projections, a massive complex sunspot group has emerged.

 

http://www.spaceweather.com

[jonboy]

And, back in the world of the observed rather than projections, a massive complex sunspot group has emerged.

 

http://www.spaceweather.com

 

I would hardly call it massive

[Polar Maritime]

We will stick to 'large' then..   

[jonboy]

We will stick to 'large' then..   

 

The tone of the original post by CR could leave those who don't follow solar activity closely that we have an active sun. We clearly do not and one 'large' sunspot hardly constitutes active. We have passed max and the test will be how quickly we drop into minimum and everything would point to a rapid drop. Interesting times ahead

[Polar Maritime]

X-FLARE:

 

 

 The sun is no longer quiet. Emerging sunspot AR2339 unleashed an intense X2-class solar flare on May 5th at 22:15 UT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:

A pulse of UV radiation and X-rays from the flare caused a strong radio blackout over the Pacific side of Earth. This map shows the extent of the blackout, which affected frequencies below 20 MHz. Mariners, aviators, and ham radio operators are the type of people who might have noticed the disturbance.

The explosion also hurled a CME into space: movie. Traveling faster than 1100 km/s (2.5 million mph), the expanding cloud does not appear to be heading for Earth. http://spaceweather.com/

Edited May 6, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

 

BIG SUNSPOT, CHANCE OF FLARES: Yesterday, sunspot AR2339 unleashed an intense X2-class solar flare. It might not be finished. The active region has doubled in size since yesterday, and it has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for more eruptions. http://spaceweather.com/

Edited May 7, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

[Polar Maritime]

Kp levels up to 6 (storm) just now.

 

 

NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of continued geomagnetic storms on May 13th as the solar wind buffets Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. http://spaceweather.com/

Edited May 13, 2015 by Polar Maritime

[Polar Maritime]

Northern Britain is in for a good chance tonight.

 

[Polar Maritime]

QUIET SUN: With no sunspots actively flaring, solar activity is low. According to NOAA, the odds of a significant solar flare (M- or X-class) today are no more than 1%. http://spaceweather.com/