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SIGNIFICANT X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Earth-orbiting satellites just detected the second-largest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 (Oct. 1st @ 22:20 UTC). The X7.1-class blast came from Earth-facing sunspot AR3842, and it may have hurled a CME in our direction. Confirmation awaits fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
Above: An X7.1-class solar flare on Oct. 1, 2024. Credit: NASA/SDO
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ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE--TOMORROW: The Moon is about to pass directly in front of the sun, producing a 'ring of fire' solar eclipse. The path of annularity passes almost entirely over remote parts of the Pacific Ocean:
Above: Eclipse visibility map created by Spaceweather.com reader Peter Zimnikoval
Land masses where people can see the ring of fire include Easter Island and the southern tips of Argentina and Chile. Only ~175,000 people live in the path of annularity.
Annular eclipses occur when the Moon is a little too small to cover the entire sun. All around the circumference of the Moon, the sun peeks out from behind lunar craters and mountain ranges, producing the ring-of-fire effect.
Call out to the 175,000: If you have a picture, submit it here.
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MORNING COMET TAIL: Dawn comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) is getting a little trickier to photograph. This week the comet is sinking back toward the sun, and its bright head is lost in the glare. Don't give up, though. The tail is still visible. David Blanchard sends this picture from Ashurst Lake near Flagstaff, Arizona:
"I was able to photograph the comet tail about 18 minutes before comet rise," says Blanchard. "The head of the comet was 3°37' below the horizon. The tail was 10° to 12° in length. I had hopes that the tail would be bright enough to be reflected in the lake and was successful."
This 'morning comet tail' should remain visible for several days to come. Soon, though, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will pass between Earth and the sun, crossing entirely to the evening sky. En route, sunlight forward scattered by comet dust could amplify the comet's brightness, making it visible even in broad daylight. The next phase of the show begins on Oct. 9th. Stay tuned!
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STRATOSPHERE CRYSTAL SUNFLOWER: This sunflower has touched space. The crystal blossom flew to the stratosphere on Feb. 22nd onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon, floating 112,451 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $139.95. The students are selling Stratosphere Sunflowers to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. They make great Mother's Day, anniversary, and birthday gifts. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the flower in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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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 Sep 30, 2024, the network reported 7 fireballs.
(7 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]
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 October 1, 2024 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.
 |
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: | Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) |
| 2024 SN | 2024-Sep-26 | 10.2 LD | 6.8 | 12 |
| 2024 SG4 | 2024-Sep-26 | 0.8 LD | 10 | 12 |
| 2024 SS1 | 2024-Sep-26 | 0.7 LD | 12.6 | 8 |
| 2024 SV3 | 2024-Sep-26 | 1.7 LD | 11.8 | 18 |
| 2024 SW3 | 2024-Sep-26 | 4.1 LD | 9.6 | 14 |
| 2024 RW25 | 2024-Sep-27 | 16.1 LD | 9.8 | 27 |
| 2024 RP15 | 2024-Sep-27 | 17.6 LD | 9.9 | 29 |
| 2024 SL2 | 2024-Sep-27 | 15.2 LD | 10.5 | 38 |
| 2011 ST12 | 2024-Sep-27 | 17.6 LD | 7.4 | 19 |
| 2024 SN4 | 2024-Sep-27 | 2.6 LD | 16.4 | 16 |
| 2024 SA6 | 2024-Sep-27 | 9.3 LD | 13.1 | 31 |
| 2024 SM1 | 2024-Sep-27 | 10.3 LD | 7.7 | 9 |
| 2024 SY2 | 2024-Sep-27 | 19.8 LD | 8.7 | 23 |
| 2024 SS4 | 2024-Sep-27 | 2.4 LD | 10.4 | 12 |
| 2024 SG1 | 2024-Sep-27 | 2.3 LD | 17 | 11 |
| 2024 SC1 | 2024-Sep-27 | 4 LD | 9.8 | 11 |
| 2024 SD1 | 2024-Sep-27 | 5.3 LD | 10.1 | 7 |
| 2024 SB1 | 2024-Sep-28 | 12.8 LD | 8 | 14 |
| 2024 SA7 | 2024-Sep-28 | 4.8 LD | 2.5 | 13 |
| 2024 SE | 2024-Sep-28 | 7.6 LD | 10.9 | 46 |
| 2024 SR | 2024-Sep-28 | 3.1 LD | 16.9 | 30 |
| 2024 SQ | 2024-Sep-28 | 3.2 LD | 12.9 | 24 |
| 2024 SY6 | 2024-Sep-28 | 5.9 LD | 19.2 | 37 |
| 2024 SV2 | 2024-Sep-28 | 0.1 LD | 11.5 | 7 |
| 2024 ST1 | 2024-Sep-28 | 3.9 LD | 16.4 | 11 |
| 2024 SC3 | 2024-Sep-29 | 5.9 LD | 7.4 | 18 |
| 2024 SU1 | 2024-Sep-29 | 4.9 LD | 17.3 | 17 |
| 2024 SE2 | 2024-Sep-29 | 6.3 LD | 8.8 | 14 |
| 2024 SK | 2024-Sep-29 | 5.6 LD | 4.4 | 10 |
| 2024 SC | 2024-Sep-30 | 4.3 LD | 17.9 | 96 |
| 2024 SX1 | 2024-Sep-30 | 16.4 LD | 5.1 | 17 |
| 2024 SC6 | 2024-Sep-30 | 1.9 LD | 9.6 | 12 |
| 2024 SJ1 | 2024-Oct-01 | 15.2 LD | 10.6 | 16 |
| 2024 RN15 | 2024-Oct-01 | 8.4 LD | 7.2 | 31 |
| 2024 RH45 | 2024-Oct-01 | 5 LD | 8.2 | 37 |
| 2024 RO2 | 2024-Oct-02 | 4.2 LD | 9.2 | 37 |
| 2024 RJ16 | 2024-Oct-02 | 18.2 LD | 6.9 | 24 |
| 2024 SV | 2024-Oct-02 | 20.1 LD | 6.2 | 24 |
| 2024 SS | 2024-Oct-02 | 5.7 LD | 7.5 | 25 |
| 2024 SR4 | 2024-Oct-03 | 7 LD | 11.6 | 16 |
| 2024 SD3 | 2024-Oct-03 | 3.9 LD | 18.2 | 22 |
| 2024 SR1 | 2024-Oct-04 | 5.7 LD | 5.9 | 12 |
| 2024 SY4 | 2024-Oct-04 | 9.8 LD | 4.9 | 10 |
| 2024 RJ32 | 2024-Oct-05 | 7.7 LD | 6.6 | 45 |
| 2024 SL3 | 2024-Oct-05 | 8.2 LD | 12.6 | 19 |
| 2023 GM1 | 2024-Oct-05 | 15.4 LD | 5.2 | 13 |
| 2024 SY5 | 2024-Oct-05 | 4.3 LD | 6 | 9 |
| 2024 SZ1 | 2024-Oct-05 | 11 LD | 20.3 | 36 |
| 2014 VA | 2024-Oct-05 | 18.1 LD | 6.3 | 46 |
| 2024 SH3 | 2024-Oct-05 | 19 LD | 8.2 | 24 |
| 2022 SU21 | 2024-Oct-06 | 17.5 LD | 21.1 | 45 |
| 2024 SD6 | 2024-Oct-06 | 4.8 LD | 6.8 | 11 |
| 2022 FC5 | 2024-Oct-06 | 16.2 LD | 19.3 | 39 |
| 671076 | 2024-Oct-07 | 12.8 LD | 8.6 | 120 |
| 2024 SU3 | 2024-Oct-07 | 5.6 LD | 9.1 | 23 |
| 2024 SF5 | 2024-Oct-07 | 15.3 LD | 4.8 | 39 |
| 2016 JG38 | 2024-Oct-08 | 13.2 LD | 12 | 56 |
| 2018 QE | 2024-Oct-09 | 1.7 LD | 4.4 | 10 |
| 2024 SM | 2024-Oct-10 | 7.4 LD | 6.7 | 30 |
| 363027 | 2024-Oct-12 | 9.3 LD | 16.6 | 419 |
| 2020 GE1 | 2024-Oct-12 | 20.1 LD | 4.3 | 14 |
| 2022 UX1 | 2024-Oct-12 | 19.9 LD | 9.9 | 9 |
| 2008 UU95 | 2024-Oct-12 | 13.5 LD | 15.6 | 66 |
| 2024 SM4 | 2024-Oct-13 | 18.9 LD | 13.8 | 61 |
| 2021 TK11 | 2024-Oct-14 | 8 LD | 10.6 | 7 |
| 2022 TB41 | 2024-Oct-15 | 10 LD | 6 | 4 |
| 2024 SD2 | 2024-Oct-17 | 10.1 LD | 6.1 | 27 |
| 2019 UH14 | 2024-Oct-17 | 8.3 LD | 10.4 | 62 |
| 2024 RV50 | 2024-Oct-18 | 19.4 LD | 15.6 | 209 |
| 2024 SH1 | 2024-Oct-20 | 6.4 LD | 2.7 | 14 |
| 2024 SE4 | 2024-Oct-22 | 6.9 LD | 2.2 | 10 |
| 2015 HM1 | 2024-Oct-24 | 14.4 LD | 10.9 | 32 |
| 363305 | 2024-Oct-24 | 11.8 LD | 4.9 | 186 |
| 2021 UE2 | 2024-Oct-24 | 13.6 LD | 7.1 | 40 |
| 2023 TG14 | 2024-Oct-24 | 6.6 LD | 6.9 | 24 |
| 2007 UT3 | 2024-Oct-26 | 17.7 LD | 10.4 | 23 |
| 2020 WG | 2024-Oct-28 | 8.7 LD | 9.4 | 160 |
| 2021 CV1 | 2024-Oct-30 | 14.4 LD | 23.6 | 38 |
| 2023 KX3 | 2024-Oct-31 | 18.8 LD | 2.4 | 25 |
| 2022 UD21 | 2024-Oct-31 | 11.4 LD | 11.8 | 27 |
| 2016 VA | 2024-Nov-01 | 1.5 LD | 21.2 | 11 |
| 2023 VS | 2024-Nov-04 | 15.2 LD | 4.3 | 4 |
| 2022 JM | 2024-Nov-06 | 19.7 LD | 6.2 | 6 |
| 2019 WB7 | 2024-Nov-11 | 17.3 LD | 5.7 | 47 |
| 2020 UL3 | 2024-Nov-12 | 4.1 LD | 10.5 | 81 |
| 2020 AB2 | 2024-Nov-13 | 18.9 LD | 7.2 | 14 |
| 2019 VU5 | 2024-Nov-14 | 12 LD | 23.3 | 46 |
| 2019 VL5 | 2024-Nov-14 | 9.6 LD | 8.5 | 24 |
| 2023 WK3 | 2024-Nov-18 | 16.1 LD | 14.5 | 272 |
| 2012 KO11 | 2024-Nov-20 | 6.2 LD | 9.4 | 43 |
| 2020 VX4 | 2024-Nov-20 | 10.5 LD | 10.5 | 11 |
| 2009 WB105 | 2024-Nov-25 | 15.1 LD | 18.9 | 71 |
| 2006 WB | 2024-Nov-26 | 2.3 LD | 4.2 | 98 |
| 2018 DC4 | 2024-Nov-29 | 18.8 LD | 4.5 | 12 |
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. | | Cosmic Rays in the Atmosphere |
SPACE WEATHER BALLOON DATA: Almost once a week, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus fly space weather balloons to the stratosphere over California. These balloons are equipped with sensors that detect secondary cosmic rays, a form of radiation from space that can penetrate all the way down to Earth's surface. Our monitoring program has been underway without interruption for 7 years, resulting in a unique dataset of in situ atmospheric measurements.
Latest results (July 2022): Atmospheric radiation is decreasing in 2022. Our latest measurements in July 2022 registered a 6-year low:
What's going on? Ironically, the radiation drop is caused by increasing solar activity. Solar Cycle 25 has roared to life faster than forecasters expected. The sun's strengthening and increasingly tangled magnetic field repels cosmic rays from deep space. In addition, solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) sweep aside cosmic rays, causing sharp reductions called "Forbush Decreases." The two effects blend together to bring daily radiation levels down.
.Who cares? Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere, trigger lightning, and penetrate commercial airplanes. According to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health, crews of aircraft have higher rates of cancer than the general population. The researchers listed cosmic rays, irregular sleep habits, and chemical contaminants as leading risk factors. A number of controversial studies (#1, #2, #3, #4) go even further, linking cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Technical notes: The radiation sensors onboard our helium balloons detect X-rays and gamma-rays in the energy range 10 keV to 20 MeV. These energies span the range of medical X-ray machines and airport security scanners.
Data points in the graph labeled "Stratospheric Radiation" correspond to the peak of the Regener-Pfotzer maximum, which lies about 67,000 feet above central California. When cosmic rays crash into Earth's atmosphere, they produce a spray of secondary particles that is most intense at the entrance to the stratosphere. Physicists Eric Regener and Georg Pfotzer discovered the maximum using balloons in the 1930s and it is what we are measuring today.
| | The official U.S. government space weather bureau |
| | The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena. |
| | Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever. |
| | 3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory |
| | Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. |
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| | from the NOAA Space Environment Center |
| | fun to read, but should be taken with a grain of salt! Forecasts looking ahead more than a few days are often wrong. |
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