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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 376.4 km/sec
density: 5.6 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2343 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C3
1834 UT Nov22
24-hr: C4
0404 UT Nov22
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2300 UT
Daily Sun: 22 Nov 11
Solar activity is low. None of the sunspots on the Earthside of the sun are actively flaring. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 101
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 21 Nov 2011

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days

Updated 21 Nov 2011


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 140 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 21 Nov 2011

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 9.7 nT
Bz: 1 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2346 UT
Coronal Holes: 22 Nov 11
There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2011 Nov 22 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
30 %
30 %
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: 2011 Nov 22 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
05 %
05 %
MINOR
01 %
01 %
SEVERE
00 %
00 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
15 %
15 %
MINOR
13 %
13 %
SEVERE
07 %
07 %
 
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011
What's up in space
 

Metallic photos of the sun by renowned photographer Greg Piepol bring together the best of art and science. Buy one or a whole set. They make a stellar gift.

 
Metallic pictures of the Sun

ANTARCTIC SOLAR ECLIPSE: On Nov. 25th the Moon will pass in front of the sun, slightly off-center, producing a partial solar eclipse visible from Antarctica, Tasmania, and parts of South Africa and New Zealand. An animated map created by graphic artist Larry Koehn shows the eclipse unfolding across the southern end of our planet:

Maximum coverage occurs about 100 miles off the coast of Antarctica where the sun will appear to be a slender 9% crescent. Observers in the eclipse zone should be alert for crescent-shaped shadows and sunbeams. The sun-dappled ground beneath leafy trees is a good place to look. Of course that won't work in Antarctica where trees are scarce. Observers there should use safe solar filters to witness the crescent sun itself.

QUIET BEAUTY: With more than half a dozen spots scattered across the face of the sun, the sunspot number is high. Nevertheless, solar activity remains low. None of the sun's so-called "active regions" are actually producing flares. The starscape, meanwhile, is as beautiful as ever. On Nov. 22nd, Robert Arnold took these pictures from his private observatory on the Isle of Skye, Scotland:

"The sun is criss-crossed with magnetic filaments and plasma clouds," says Arnold. "It's a beautiful view."

Readers with solar telescopes, don't let the quiet fool you. Today is a good day for sun-stronomy.

more images: from John Minnerath of Crowheart Wyoming; from Efrain Morales Rivera of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

LAST SUNSET: As northern winter approaches, darkness is enveloping the countries of the Arctic. In fact, yesterday in Tromsø, Norway, night fell less than ten minutes after sunrise. Fredrik Broms photographed the sun during its few minutes above the horizon:

"After a long slow dawn, the sun rose for one of the last times of the year today," says Broms. "My girlfriend and I went out to say a last goodbye to the sun and minutes after sunrise the dusk began. Here in Tromsø the polar night period lasts from November 25 - January 17, but because of the surrounding mountains, the sun is due to set on November 22. Together with several other people who attended to pay a last farewell to the Sun today, we say thank you for 2011, sun. We'll see you again in January."

  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 November 22, 2011 there were 1256 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2011 FZ2
Nov 7
75.9 LD
--
1.6 km
2005 YU55
Nov 8
0.8 LD
11.2
400 m
2011 UT91
Nov 15
9.9 LD
--
109 m
1994 CK1
Nov 16
68.8 LD
--
1.5 km
1996 FG3
Nov 23
39.5 LD
--
1.1 km
2003 WM7
Dec 9
47.6 LD
--
1.6 km
1999 XP35
Dec 20
77.5 LD
--
1.0 km
2000 YA
Dec 26
2.9 LD
--
80 m
2011 SL102
Dec 28
75.9 LD
--
1.1 km
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
Science Central
Trade Show Displays
   
  more links...
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