SPACE WEATHER Current Conditions Solar Wind velocity: 590.2 km/s density:0.8 protons/cm3 explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2246 UT X-ray Solar Flares 6-hr max: M5 2000 UT Nov07 24-hr: M5 2000 UT Nov07 explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2245 UT Daily Sun: 07 Nov '01 Sunspots 9684 and 9687 have delta class magnetic fields that pose a threat for X-flares. Active regions 9690 has a gamma-class magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class eruptions. Image credit: SOHO/MDI The Far Side of the Sun This holographic image reveals one or two mid-sized spots on the far side of the Sun. Image credit: SOHO/MDI Sunspot Number: 189 More about sunspots Updated: 06 Nov 2001 Radio Meteor Rate 24 hr max: 12 per hr Listen to the Meteor Radar! Updated: 06 Nov 2001 Interplanetary Mag. Field Btotal: 2.8 nT Bz: 2.2 nT north explanation | more data Updated: Today at 2247 UT Coronal Holes: The indicated coronal hole is not well-placed to send solar wind gusts toward Earth. 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 Nov 07 2200 UT FLARE | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | CLASS M | 80 % | 80 % | CLASS X | 25 % | 25 % | 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 Nov 07 2200 UT Mid-latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 25 % | 25 % | MINOR | 10 % | 10 % | SEVERE | 05 % | 05 % | High latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 30 % | 30 % | MINOR | 15 % | 15 % | SEVERE | 05 % | 05 % | Web server provided by VPS Hosting | What's Up in Space -- 7 Nov 2001 Subscribe to Space Weather News! STORM SUBSIDES: A strong geomagnetic storm that began on Nov. 5th is finally subsiding. However, the solar wind velocity remains high; storm conditions could resume if the interplanetary magnetic field near Earth tilts south. Above: The planetary K-index soared to severe storm levels on Nov 6th when a CME hit Earth's magnetosphere. AURORA BLAST: A fast-moving coronal mass ejection that billowed away from the Sun on Nov. 4th swept past our planet at 0150 UT on Nov 6th (8:50 p.m. EST on Nov 5th). The impact triggered a severe geomagnetic storm and widespread auroras reaching as far south as Florida, Texas, and California in the United States. Visit our aurora gallery for photos! LEARN MORE: Autumn is a good time to spot Northern Lights. This Science@NASA story explains why. LEONID METEORS: On Sunday morning, Nov. 18, 2001, sky watchers somewhere will see a dazzling storm of Leonid meteors. Find out how you can be one of them: "Jaw-dropping Leonids" from Science@NASA. RADIATION STORM: Our planet remains inside a stream of energetic solar protons accelerated by last Sunday's X1-class solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME). The ongoing radiation storm reached severe (S4) levels on Monday, but is subsiding now that the CME has passed our planet. WEB LINKS: NOAA FORECAST | GLOSSARY | SPACE WEATHER TUTORIAL | LESSON PLANS | BECOME A SUBSCRIBER | 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 are on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time. On 7 Nov 2001 there were 340 known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids Nov. - Dec. 2001 Earth-asteroid encountersNotes: LD is a "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. - PERSEIDS 2001: Perseid watchers on August 12th spotted meteors, auroras, and a disintegrating Russian rocket! [gallery]
- MORNING PLANETS: In July and Aug. 2001, the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury put on a dazzling early-morning sky show. [gallery]
- C/2001 A2 (LINEAR): This volatile comet is still visible through small telescopes as it recedes from Earth. [gallery]
- ECLIPSE SAFARI: Onlookers cried out in delight on June 21, 2001, when the Moon covered the African Sun, revealing the dazzling corona. [gallery]
- 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]
July 27, 2001: Meteorites Don't Pop Corn -- A fireball that dazzled Americans on July 23rd probably didn't scorch any cornfields, contrary to widespread reports. June 12, 2001: The Biggest Explosions in the Solar System -- NASA's HESSI spacecraft aims to unravel an explosive mystery: the origin of solar flares. Feb. 21, 2001: Nature's Tiniest Space Junk -- Using an experimental radar, NASA scientists are monitoring tiny but hazardous meteoroids that swarm around our planet. Feb. 15, 2001: The Sun Does a Flip -- NASA scientists who monitor the Sun say our star's enormous magnetic field is reversing -- a sure sign that solar maximum is here. 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. MORE SPACE WEATHER HEADLINES |