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Solar and Aurora Activity Chat


shuggee

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 73.7

Adjusted Flux Density 73.0 = low

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Posted
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Severe frosts, Heavy snowfall, Thunder and lightning, Stormy weather
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex

STRANGE RED AURORAS: Spoiler alert: We do not know the answer to this question. Where did all the red auroras come from? For much of mid-October, Earth's magnetic field has been very quiet. Extremely quiet. There should have been no auroras at all, yet around the Arctic Circle, photographers recorded scenes like this:

Strange red auroras Arctic Circle.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Severe frosts, Heavy snowfall, Thunder and lightning, Stormy weather
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex

Safe aurora tours: Thinking of a visit to Norway? Marianne's Heaven on Earth Aurora Tours has a 7-seater minivan for families who don't require social distancing. See the Northern Lights or take a scenic day tour. Book here

 

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms on Oct. 22-23 when a high-speed stream of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Bright auroras may be seen in Alaska, Canada, and the countries of Scandinavia. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

STRANGE RED AURORAS: Spoiler alert: We do not know the answer to this question. Where did all the red auroras come from? For much of mid-October, Earth's magnetic field has been very quiet. Extremely quiet. There should have been no auroras at all, yet around the Arctic Circle, photographers recorded scenes like this:

Photographer Rayann Elzein of Utsjoki, Finland, took the picture on Oct. 17th. "I photographed similar displays on Oct. 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th," says Elzein. "On each occasion, geomagnetic activity was very low (with K-indices no greater than 0 or 1)." 

Red auroras appear when particles from space strike oxygen atoms near the top of Earth's atmosphere. However, as Les Cowley explains, the very slow atomic transitions which produce red photons in the aurora zone are easily interrupted. Even experienced observers rarely see them.

Elzein has been chasing auroras in Finland for 10 years. He prides himself on going out in all conditions--even when geomagnetic activity is nominally low. "I can't recall ever seeing so much red on top of the green layer before," he says.

In Tromsø, Norway, aurora tour guide Markus Varik had a similar experience. "Activity was extremely low on Oct. 17th when pink and red colors appeared. After years of guiding, I have never seen anything similar to this."

Purple and Green Aurora Arctic Circle.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 74.9

Adjusted Flux Density 74.2 = low

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 71.7

Adjusted Flux Density 71.0 = low

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Posted
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Severe frosts, Heavy snowfall, Thunder and lightning, Stormy weather
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex

THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED: Bright auroras are dancing around the Arctic Circle on Oct. 24 as Earth enters a stream of high-speed solar wind. "What we are seeing right now is easily the best of the entire month," reports Chad Blakley of Lights over Lapland. His automated webcam snapped this picture of the display:

abisko_strip THE SOLAR WIND HAS ARRIVED.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 72.7

Adjusted Flux Density 71.9 = low

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Sorry guys, kindle had a meltdown yesterday so was busy fettling that...

Observed Flux Density 75.4

Adjusted Flux Density 74.5 = low

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 76.7

Adjusted Flux Density 75.7 = low

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Posted
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.
  • Location: Lower Brynamman, nr Ammanford, 160-170m a.s.l.

https://spaceweather.com/

A giant new-cycle, active sunspot group has emerged. Perhaps all the prognostications of a new Maunder minimum might have been premature.

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
4 hours ago, Crepuscular Ray said:

https://spaceweather.com/

A giant new-cycle, active sunspot group has emerged. Perhaps all the prognostications of a new Maunder minimum might have been premature.

The sunspot in question is roughly the same size as earth, so it's a humdinger!

That said, doesn't have to continue to increase in activity, it might, but only to a degree, then again it may go all out and be higher than previous cycle...

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Posted
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Bartlett style mild and benign
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth
16 hours ago, JeffC said:

The sunspot in question is roughly the same size as earth, so it's a humdinger!

That said, doesn't have to continue to increase in activity, it might, but only to a degree, then again it may go all out and be higher than previous cycle...

Pushed the solar flux up to to 81.4 last night, highest of the new cycle so far, and highest since March 2019 (that activity came from spots from the old cycle).

Still a good few spotless days to come over the next few months as the new cycle takes time to spin up.

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
5 hours ago, Uncle_Barty said:

Pushed the solar flux up to to 81.4 last night, highest of the new cycle so far, and highest since March 2019 (that activity came from spots from the old cycle).

Still a good few spotless days to come over the next few months as the new cycle takes time to spin up.

Aye and its shot up a bit more since!

Wonder if there are any extrapolations of what Flux would have been in e.g. Maunder or Dalton minima?

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 87.6

Adjusted Flux Density 86.4 = low

Edited by JeffC
Didn't know my own scale!
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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Just thought I should remind the thresholds I'm using as suggested in April

Below 70 = very low

70-100 = low

100-200 medium

2-300 = high

3-500= V high

and the record 55,000 if it ever gets to that again in our lifetime we'll just call it extreme?

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Posted
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Bartlett style mild and benign
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth

A second group has emerged quickly, to the extent that it is capable of producing M class flaring.

That 87.6 the highest since September 2017. We briefly had readings of just over 130 the month before that.

I don't know where that 55,000 comes from. Highest reading I am aware of is just over 400 in April 1947, though we don't have records going back beyond then. More recently, high 300s recorded briefly during the peaks of Cycle 21 and 22.

As for flux readings during Maunder/Dalton minima, I would hazard a guess at a simple continuation of the lowest flux readings at solar minima... i.e. mid 60s.

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 84.6

Adjusted Flux Density 83.5 = low

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
16 hours ago, Uncle_Barty said:

A second group has emerged quickly, to the extent that it is capable of producing M class flaring.

That 87.6 the highest since September 2017. We briefly had readings of just over 130 the month before that.

I don't know where that 55,000 comes from. Highest reading I am aware of is just over 400 in April 1947, though we don't have records going back beyond then. More recently, high 300s recorded briefly during the peaks of Cycle 21 and 22.

As for flux readings during Maunder/Dalton minima, I would hazard a guess at a simple continuation of the lowest flux readings at solar minima... i.e. mid 60s.

Hope this new solar cycle is not going to ramp up too quickly!

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
8 hours ago, Don said:

Hope this new solar cycle is not going to ramp up too quickly!

Hope it doesn't ramp up at all!!

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Posted
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Bartlett style mild and benign
  • Location: sunny sunny Bournemouth
9 hours ago, Don said:

Hope this new solar cycle is not going to ramp up too quickly!

I, and many other radio amateurs are hoping that it does!!

But it will be a slow process as this cycle will likely be similar in strength to the last one.

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Posted
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Severe frosts, Heavy snowfall, Thunder and lightning, Stormy weather
  • Location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, SW Essex

INCOMING SOLAR STORM CLOUD: A slow-moving coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth. Sort of. Most of the storm cloud will miss our planet, but the flanks of the CME could graze Earth's magnetic field on Nov. 1st, sparking geomagnetic storms and bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

AFTERNOON AURORAS: At this time of year in Utsjoki, Finland, the sun goes down at 3:45 p.m.--which means aurora chasers get an early start. "Yesterday when I looked outside 5.00 p.m., there was already a nice green band in the sky," reports Rayann Elzein. "I immediately got dressed and rushed the the river bank, where the auroras exploded." This video shows the display in real-speed and real-colour.

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 80.2

Adjusted Flux Density 79.1 = low

 

Hopefully dropping back suggesting activity could be on the wane...

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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 78.4

Adjusted Flux Density 77.3 = low 

Edited by JeffC
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Posted
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: wintry
  • Location: Coniston, Cumbria 90m ASL

Observed Flux Density 75.8

Adjusted Flux Density 74.7 = low

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