You are viewing the page for Sep. 23, 2012
  Select another date:
<<back forward>>
SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids
 
Solar wind
speed: 361.9 km/sec
density: 2.8 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2346 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1
1700 UT Sep23
24-hr: C1
1610 UT Sep23
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 2259 UT
Daily Sun: 23 Sep 12
Sunspot 1575 poses a slight but growing threat for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 46
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 23 Sep 2012

Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days

Update 23 Sep 2012


The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 125 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 23 Sep 2012

Current Auroral Oval:
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 1
quiet
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 3.2 nT
Bz: 1.3 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2347 UT
Coronal Holes: 22 Sep 12
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on ~Sept 23. Credit: SDO/AIA.
SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts
Updated at: 2012 Sep 23 2200 UTC
FLARE
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
CLASS M
10 %
15 %
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: 2012 Sep 23 2200 UTC
Mid-latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
05 %
05 %
MINOR
01 %
01 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
High latitudes
0-24 hr
24-48 hr
ACTIVE
10 %
10 %
MINOR
01 %
01 %
SEVERE
01 %
01 %
 
Sunday, Sep. 23, 2012
What's up in space
 

Hang the Transit of Venus on your wall! Hubble-quality images from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory are now available as metallic posters in the Space Weather Store.

 
Venus Transit metal posters

SLIGHT CHANCE OF FLARES: Sunspot 1575 has developed a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 5% chance of an eruption during the next 24 hours. The odds are low, but if a flare occurs, it will be Earth-directed. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.

AUTUMN LIGHTS: The onset of northern autumn means it's aurora season. For reasons researchers don't fully understand, equinoxes are the best times to see Northern Lights. And, right on cue, the Arctic Circle is glowing. Casey Thompson sends this picture from Chatanika, Alaska:

"The auroras beamed right through the clouds over Chatanika on Sept. 21st," says Thompson. "Open water doesnt last long in the interior of Alaska, so it is always nice to find a place to get some reflections of the beautiful Lights along with a staple in Alaska history, the gold dredge."

The solar wind velocity this weekend is low, but at this time of year it only takes a gentle gust to ignite bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. High latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: text, voice.

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

SEASON IN A BEER CAN: Jan Koeman of the Netherlands has captured an entire season in a single beer can. On June 21st, Koeman assembled a solargraph--a simple pinhole camera consisting of a beer can lined with photographic paper--and throughout the summer of 2012 he used it to record the sun's daily motion across the Dutch sky. On Sept. 21st, he removed the photo-paper for inspection:

"As you can see, the summer wasn't too bad at all!" says Koeman. "There was lots of sunshine in the backgarden of my parents in Middelburg."

Next up: Autumn in a beer can. Stay tuned.

Solargraph How-to Guides: #1, #2, #3

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery


Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
[previous years: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011]

  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 September 23, 2012 there were potentially hazardous asteroids.
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters:
Asteroid
Date(UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2012 SW2
Sep 19
1.8 LD
--
14 m
2012 SZ2
Sep 19
8.2 LD
--
38 m
2012 RK15
Sep 24
8.2 LD
--
88 m
1998 UO1
Oct 4
60.1 LD
--
2.1 km
2005 GQ21
Oct 12
77 LD
--
1.0 km
1998 ST49
Oct 18
28.7 LD
--
1.3 km
1991 VE
Oct 26
34 LD
--
1.1 km
2001 CV26
Oct 30
68 LD
--
2.4 km
2007 PA8
Nov 5
16.8 LD
--
2.4 km
2010 JK1
Nov 25
9.3 LD
--
56 m
2009 LS
Nov 28
55.2 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
Trade Show Displays
   
  more links...
©2010 Spaceweather.com. All rights reserved. This site is penned daily by Dr. Tony Phillips.
©2019 Spaceweather.com. All rights reserved.