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Solar wind
speed: 511.3 km/sec
density: 1.2 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2347 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1
2234 UT Feb20
24-hr: M3
0757 UT Feb20
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2300 UT
Daily Sun: 20 Feb 14
Sunspot AR1982 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 123
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 20 Feb 2014

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2014 total: 0 days (0%)
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)

Update
20 Feb 2014

The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 158 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 20 Feb 2014

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 6
storm
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.7 nT
Bz: 0.8 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2347 UT
Coronal Holes: 20 Feb 14
There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.

Spaceweather.com posts daily satellite images of noctilucent clouds (NLCs), which hover over Earth's poles at the edge of space. The data come from NASA's AIM spacecraft. The north polar "daisy" pictured below is a composite of near-realtime images from AIM assembled by researchers at the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP).
Noctilucent Clouds
Switch view: Europe, USA, Asia, Polar
Updated at: 02-20-2014 10:55:02
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2014 Feb 20 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
35 %
40 %
CLASS X
05 %
05 %
Geomagnetic Storms:
Probabilities for significant disturbances in Earth's magnetic field are given for three activity levels: active, minor storm, severe storm
Updated at: 2014 Feb 20 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
35 %
30 %
MINOR
20 %
10 %
SEVERE
05 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
10 %
15 %
MINOR
30 %
30 %
SEVERE
50 %
40 %
 
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014
What's up in space
 

When is the best time to see auroras? Where is the best place to go? And how do you photograph them? These questions and more are answered in a new book, Northern Lights - a Guide, by Pal Brekke & Fredrik Broms.

 
Northern Lights - a Guide

STORMY SPACE WEATHER: Space weather around Earth is stormy--and might get stormier in the days ahead. Our planet's magnetic field is reverberating from the second CME impact in as many days. According to NOAA forecasters, another CME could arrive late in the day on Feb. 20th followed by another on Feb. 22nd. For the most part, these CME impacts are minor and/or glancing. However, their combined effect is significant. A G1-class geomagnetic storm is now in progress so high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: text, voice

AURORAS OVER THE USA: A minor geomagnetic storm was already in progress during the early hours of Feb. 19th when a CME struck Earth's magnetic field. The impact revved-up the storm and sent Northern Lights spilling across the Canadian border into the United States. Jonathan Schiralli sends this picture from Grand Rapids, North Dakota:

To capture all the colors, Schiralli says he exposed the sky for 5 seconds using a Canon Rebel T3 digital camera set at 1600 ISO. Northern photographers should take note of those settings as more auroras are in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% to 50% chance of geomagnetic storms on Feb. 20-21. Aurora alerts: text, voice

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

M3-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Departing sunspot AR1976 erupted today, Feb. 20th, at approximately 0750 UT, producing an M3-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:

Because of the sunspot's location near the sun's western limb, the flare was not squarely Earth-directed. Nevertheless, there might be some effect on our planet. NOAA forecasters say that a CME expelled by the blast could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Feb. 22nd. Stay tuned for updates. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM THE STRATOSPHERE: Helium is not free. That's why the student scientists of Earth to Sky Calculus occasionally fly commercial payloads onboard their suborbital research balloons. The profits fund space weather experiments in the stratosphere. On Feb. 11th, the team flew a batch of Valentine's Cards to the edge of space. Spaceweather reader Shiree Schade was one of the customers:

"Best Valentine's card...EVER!" she says. "Not only will my valentine cherish the image, but I can't wait to start bragging to my friends that I'VE been to the stratosphere."

The student group makes regular flights to the stratosphere to measure radiation and ozone during periods of stormy space weather. If you would like to support their work with, say, a birthday card or Mother's Day greeting, contact Dr. Tony Phillips to book passage. The cost is only $49.95.

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery


Realtime Comet Photo Gallery


  All Sky Fireball Network

Every night, a network of NASA all-sky cameras scans the skies above the United States for meteoritic fireballs. Automated software maintained by NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office calculates their orbits, velocity, penetration depth in Earth's atmosphere and many other characteristics. Daily results are presented here on Spaceweather.com.

On Feb. 20, 2014, the network reported 3 fireballs.
(3 sporadics)

In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]

On Feb. 19, 2014, the network reported 8 fireballs.
(8 sporadics)

In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]

  Near Earth Asteroids
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time.
On February 20, 2014 there were 1458 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Size
2014 CB3
Feb 12
8.8 LD
26 m
2014 DC
Feb 16
5.7 LD
20 m
2000 EM26
Feb 18
8.8 LD
195 m
2014 BR57
Feb 20
4.4 LD
71 m
1995 CR
Feb 21
7.7 LD
215 m
2014 CR
Feb 24
8.3 LD
129 m
2000 EE14
Mar 6
64.6 LD
1.8 km
2014 CU13
Mar 11
8.1 LD
225 m
2003 QQ47
Mar 26
49.9 LD
1.4 km
1995 SA
Apr 2
73.1 LD
1.6 km
2000 HD24
Apr 4
42.2 LD
1.3 km
2007 HB15
Apr 28
6.7 LD
12 m
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach.
  Essential web links
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
  The official U.S. government space weather bureau
Atmospheric Optics
  The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena.
Solar Dynamics Observatory
  Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever.
STEREO
  3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
  Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO.
Daily Sunspot Summaries
  from the NOAA Space Environment Center
Heliophysics
  the underlying science of space weather
Space Weather Alerts
   
  more links...
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