|   SPACE WEATHER
Current
Conditions
Solar Wind
speed: 426.1 km/s
density:1.9 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2245 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C5 1650 UT Mar08
24-hr: C7 2240 UT Mar07
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2245 UT
Daily Sun: 08 Mar '02 
None of the spots on the Earth-facing side of the Sun have complex magnetic fields that pose a threat for powerful flares. Solar activity should remain low. Image credit: SOHO/MDI
The Far Side of the Sun
This holographic image reveals a possible sunspot group on the far side of the Sun. Image credit: SOHO/MDI
Sunspot Number: 152
More about sunspots
Updated: 07 Mar 2002 Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 6.3 nT
Bz: 1.1 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 2246 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
Radio Meteor Rate
24 hr max: 15 per hr
Listen to the Meteor Radar!
Updated: 08 Mar 2002
 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 2002 Mar 08 2200 UTC
| FLARE | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | | CLASS M | 20 % | 20 % | | 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 2002 Mar 08 2200 UTC Mid-latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | | ACTIVE | 10 % | 10 % | | MINOR | 01 % | 01 % | | SEVERE | 01 % | 01 % |
High latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | | ACTIVE | 15 % | 15 % | | MINOR | 05 % | 05 % | | SEVERE | 01 % | 01 % |
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VPS Hosting | What's Up in Space -- 8 Mar 2002
Subscribe to Space Weather News! COMET ALERT: Just above the western horizon after sunset, sky watchers can spot a faint wisp that wasn't there last week. It's Comet Ikeya-Zhang. The comet is brightening as it heads for a close encounter with the Sun on March 18th. Now it is glowing like a 5th-magnitude star -- barely visible to the unaided eye. Small telescopes and binoculars will reveal a lovely tail stretching 5 degrees. [finder chart] [orbit] [ephemeris] [gallery]  UPDATE: This photo captured on March 3rd by Gerald Rhemann reveals Ikeya-Zhang's irregular and fast-developing tail. Astronomer Clay Sherrod reports on March 8th that the comet's morphology is changing noticeably from day to day. CORONAL HOLE: Earth is exiting a high-speed solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole on the Sun. In recent days solar wind gusts have sparked high-latitude auroras, like these recorded by Jouni Jussila over Norway on March 4th. The coronal hole itself is extraordinary; it has persisted for three consecutive 27-day solar rotations (see below). This long-lived hole could send another solar wind stream toward Earth in early April.  MORE NORTHERN LIGHTS: On Feb. 28th at 1700 UT, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth tilted south -- a condition that often sets the stage for Northern Lights. The event triggered a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm and high-latitude auroras. Photo gallery. 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 8 Mar 2002 there were 383 known Potentially
Hazardous Asteroids Feb.-Mar. 2002 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. 
- GONE JUPITER: On Feb. 22, 2002, the Moon had a close encounter with Jupiter. [gallery]
- GONE SATURN: On Feb. 20, 2002, the Moon glided in front of Saturn and its mysterious rings. [gallery]
- HOT COMET: Periodic comet 96P/Machholz put on a dazzling show as it swung by the Sun on Jan. 8, 2002.
- ASTEROID FLYBY: Asteroid 2001 YB5 raced past Earth on Jan. 7, 2002, only two times farther away than the Moon. [gallery]
- SUBTLE ECLIPSE: The Moon dipped into the outskirts of Earth's shadow on Dec. 30, 2001. [gallery]
- MOON & SATURN: The Moon keeps getting in the way of Saturn! See the series of close encounters here.
- CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: On Christmas Eve, 2001, a solar wind stream triggered Northern Lights. [gallery]
- SOLAR ECLIPSE: Sky watchers in Hawaii and most parts of North America experienced a partial solar eclipse on Dec. 14th. [gallery]
- BRIGHT ASTEROID: Videos and images of 1998 WT24 -- a big and bright near-Earth asteroid that came close to our planet on Dec. 16, 2001. [gallery]
- NORTHERN LIGHTS: On Nov. 24th a pair of coronal mass ejections swept past Earth and triggered worldwide auroras.
- LEONIDS 2001: Some people saw it. Others heard it. In either case, they'll never forget it: The 2001 Leonid meteor storm.
- 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]
- 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]
 Nov. 7 , 2001: What Lies beneath a Sunspot -- Awesome plasma hurricanes were one of the surprises revealed when scientists peered beneath the stormy surface of our star. Nov. 7 , 2001: What Lies beneath a Sunspot -- Awesome plasma hurricanes were one of the surprises revealed when scientists peered beneath the stormy surface of our star. Oct. 26 , 2001: 'tis the Season for Auroras -- Autumn is a good time to spot Northern Lights. Oct. 17, 2001: Halley's Comet Returns ... in bits and pieces -- The annual Orionid meteor shower peaks on October 21st. Aug. 9, 2001: Horse Flies and Meteors -- Like bugs streaking down the side window of a moving car, long and colorful Perseid Earthgrazers could put on a remarkable show on August 11th. 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. |
