SPACE WEATHER Current Conditions Solar Wind velocity: 454.7 km/s density:6.0 protons/cm3 explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2147 UT X-ray Solar Flares 6-hr max: C4 2035 UT Feb12 24-hr: C4 2035 UT Feb12 explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2245 UT Daily Sun: 12 Feb '01 Sunspot group 9338 may be simplifying after its rapid growth during the weekend. It now exhibits a beta-class magnetic field that is less likely to produce strong solar flares. Sunspot Number: 169 More about sunspots Updated: 11 Feb 2001 Radio Meteor Rate 24 hr max: 33 per hr Listen to the Meteor Radar! Updated: 12 Feb 2001 Interplanetary Mag. Field Btotal: 10.3 nT Bz: 4.8 nT south explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2148 UT Coronal Holes: There are no substantial coronal holes on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. Image credit: SOHO Extreme UV Telescope. More about coronal holes SPACE WEATHER NOAA Forecasts Solar Flares: Probabilities for a medium-sized (M-class) or a major (X-class) solar flare during the next 24/48 hours are tabulated below. Updated at 2001 Feb 12 2200 UT FLARE | 24 hr | 48 hr | CLASS M | 10 % | 10 % | CLASS X | 01 % | 01 % | Geomagnetic Storms: Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm Updated at 2001 Feb 12 2200 UT Mid-latitudes | 24 hr | 48 hr | ACTIVE | 10 % | 20 % | MINOR | 05 % | 10 % | SEVERE | 01 % | 05 % | High latitudes | 24 hr | 48 hr | ACTIVE | 20 % | 30 % | MINOR | 05 % | 10 % | SEVERE | 05 % | 05 % | | What's Up in Space -- 12 Feb 2001 Subscribe to Space Weather News! HALO CME: Early Sunday morning (0130 UT) a coronal mass ejection (CME) left the Sun traveling approximately 670 km/s. Although the brightest part of the eruption billowed away from the Sun's northwest limb (and away from Earth), SOHO coronagraphs spotted a faint halo component as well -- some of the ejecta is certainly Earth-bound. [CME animations: view the big picture or a zoom shot] The expanding cloud is likely to reach our planet late Monday or Tuesday and deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetosphere. Sky watchers at geomagnetic latitudes above ~55 degrees should be alert for auroras after local nightfall on those days. [NOAA maps of geomagnetic latitude: North America, Eurasia, Australia] FAST-GROWING SUNSPOT: Active region 9338, which was nearly invisible just last Friday, is now the largest spot on the solar disk. The active region's rapidly-changing magnetic field developed a beta-gamma configuration on Sunday that could harbor energy for M-class solar flares. Above: This animation of SOHO white light images shows the growth of sunspot 9338 from Feb. 8th through 11th. ASTEROID FLYBY: Near-Earth asteroid 2001 WO148 will fly by our planet February 15th at 15:28 GMT. At closest approach the 400-meter wide space rock will be 65 lunar distances from Earth -- there is no threat of a collision. [see the 3D orbit] WEB LINKS: NOAA FORECAST | GLOSSARY | SPACE WEATHER TUTORIAL | LESSON PLANS | MORE NEWS | BECOME A SUBSCRIBER | - TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE: On Jan. 9, 2001, the full Moon glided through Earth's copper-colored shadow. [gallery]
- CHRISTMAS ECLIPSE: Sky watchers across North America enjoyed a partial solar eclipse on Christmas Day 2000 [gallery]
- LEONIDS 2000: Observers around the globe enjoyed three predicted episodes of shooting stars. [gallery]
Jan. 25, 2001: Earth's Invisible Magnetic Tail -- NASA's IMAGE spacecraft, the first to enjoy a global view of the magnetosphere, spotted a curious plasma tail pointing from Earth toward the Sun. Jan. 4, 2001: Earth at Perihelion -- On January 4, 2001, our planet made its annual closest approach to the Sun. Dec. 29, 2000: Millennium Meteors -- North Americans will have a front-row seat for a brief but powerful meteor shower on January 3, 2001. Dec. 28, 2000: Galileo Looks for Auroras on Ganymede -- NASA's durable Galileo spacecraft flew above the solar system's largest moon this morning in search of extraterrestrial "Northern Lights" Dec. 22, 2000: Watching the Angry Sun -- Solar physicists are enjoying their best-ever look at a Solar Maximum thanks to NOAA and NASA satellites. Dec. 18, 2000: Ursid Meteor Surprise -- The normally meek Ursid meteor shower could surprise sky watchers with a powerful outburst on Dec 22nd. Dec. 8, 2000: The Baffling Geminid Meteor Shower -- Most meteor showers are caused by comets, but the Geminids, which peak on December 13th, seem to come from a curious near-Earth asteroid. Nov. 22, 2000: A Solar Flare Stuns Stardust -- Earlier this month an intense solar radiation storm temporarily blinded NASA's Stardust spacecraft en route to comet Wild-2. Nov. 21, 2000: Leonids Galore -- Find out what happened during the 2000 Leonids meteor shower. Nov. 7, 2000: Much Ado about 2000 SG344 -- In 2071 a relic of NASA's earliest space exploration efforts might return to Earth, if current estimates are confirmed. Oct. 26, 2000: Lunar Leonids -- On Nov. 17, 2000, the moon will plow through a stream of debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle. Oct. 10, 2000: The Moonlit Leonids 2000 -- Our planet is heading for a minefield of cosmic dust streams laid down by periodic comet Tempel-Tuttle. The result could be a series of meteor outbursts on Nov. 17 and 18, 2000. MORE SPACE WEATHER HEADLINES |