 | | | Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica Credit: NOAA/Ovation  Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 6 storm
explanation | more data
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.1 nT
Bz: -1.4 nT south
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 2345 UT Coronal Holes: 12 Oct 21 
Solar wind flowing from this equatorial coronal hole could reach Earth on Oct. 15-16. Credit: SDO/AIA  Noctilucent Clouds The northern hemisphere season for noctilucent clouds appears to be over. NASA's AIM spacecraft detected no evidence of NLCs around the north pole on Aug. 29th. Switch view: Europe, USA, Asia, Polar Updated at: SPACE WEATHER
NOAA Forecasts | | Updated at: 2021 Oct 12 2200 UTC FLARE | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | CLASS M | 10 % | 10 % | 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: 2021 Oct 12 2200 UTC Mid-latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 30 % | 15 % | MINOR | 10 % | 01 % | SEVERE | 01 % | 01 % | High latitudes | 0-24 hr | 24-48 hr | ACTIVE | 15 % | 15 % | MINOR | 30 % | 20 % | SEVERE | 40 % | 20 % | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | Lights Over Lapland has a full catalogue of exciting adventures in Abisko National Park, Sweden! Check out our daytime and evening activities and book your adventure! | | | GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE: Earth's magnetic field is reverberating from the impact of a CME during the early hours of Oct. 12th (0230 UT). The blow triggered a G2-class geomagnetic storm--actually, a double storm--which is only now subsiding more than 12 hours later. Arctic sky watchers should remain alert for auroras as Earth exits the CME's magnetized wake. Aurora alerts: SMS Text. AURORAS IN THE USA: It's been a while. Last night, auroras were sighted in more than a dozen US states after a CME struck Earth's magnetic field. "The G2 geomagnetic storm produced the first visible auroras from coastal Massachusetts since 2017," reports Chris Cook, who snapped this 30-second self portrait around 1am EDT: 
The red-topped auroras Cook witnessed are relatively rare; they appear during geomagnetic storms that spread far from the poles. Red is caused by oxygen atoms meeting the solar wind as high as 500 km above Earth's surface. In some states the auroras were so bright onlookers photographed them using nothing more than their cell phones. iPhone or Android? You decide: 
The iPhone photo on the left comes from Tyler Knight of Mound, Minnesota, while the Samsung Galaxy image on the right was taken by meteorologist James Sinko on Castle Hill, Maine. Across the border in Saskatoon, Canada, Frank Lang recorded a must-see video using his iPhone 12. At the apex of the storm, auroras descended as far south as Nebraska. Caryl Bohn photographed their faint red glow from the town of West Oak. Subscribers to our Space Weather Alert system were notified the instant the CME hit. The alert was triggered by a sudden uptick in solar wind speed signalling the arrival of a shock front: 
The plot shows data from NOAA's DSCOVR spacecraft. When the CME passed by, the solar wind quickened by 120 km/s. At the same time, the plasma density tripled, and the temperature increased almost 10-fold. These are classic signs of a direct hit by a CME. Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter STAR TREK WINE STOPPER: It's the most far-out wine stopper ever! On Sept. 9, 2021, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched the USS Enterprise to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. Here is the starship-shaped stopper floating 105,563 feet above the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains of central California: 
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling these must-have bar accessories to support their cosmic ray research program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the stopper in flight, telling the story of its trip to the edge of space and back again. Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter 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 Oct 12, 2021, the network reported 15 fireballs.
(12 sporadics, 2 Orionids, 1 October delta Aurigid)  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 12, 2021 there were 2222 potentially hazardous asteroids.
 | Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: | Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) | | 2021 TU10 | 2021-Oct-07 | 6.1 LD | 11.6 | 15 | | 2021 TM8 | 2021-Oct-07 | 11.8 LD | 6.6 | 10 | | 2021 TP4 | 2021-Oct-07 | 12.4 LD | 21.6 | 43 | | 2021 TX1 | 2021-Oct-07 | 1.3 LD | 17.8 | 12 | | 2015 TQ21 | 2021-Oct-07 | 10.7 LD | 20.7 | 12 | | 2021 SD2 | 2021-Oct-07 | 5.7 LD | 6.6 | 15 | | 2021 TO8 | 2021-Oct-08 | 8.4 LD | 10.1 | 9 | | 2021 TN8 | 2021-Oct-09 | 16.2 LD | 13.7 | 16 | | 2021 TZ1 | 2021-Oct-09 | 3.8 LD | 4.2 | 8 | | 2021 TR10 | 2021-Oct-09 | 19 LD | 20.9 | 47 | | 2021 TQ10 | 2021-Oct-09 | 15.3 LD | 6.5 | 35 | | 2021 TT1 | 2021-Oct-10 | 1 LD | 17.1 | 20 | | 2021 TT10 | 2021-Oct-10 | 1.7 LD | 14.6 | 72 | | 2021 RF5 | 2021-Oct-10 | 19.9 LD | 8.8 | 48 | | 2021 TE8 | 2021-Oct-10 | 6.5 LD | 11.1 | 19 | | 2021 TO3 | 2021-Oct-10 | 13 LD | 9.7 | 19 | | 2021 TQ1 | 2021-Oct-10 | 3.1 LD | 5.4 | 8 | | 2021 TK11 | 2021-Oct-11 | 0.4 LD | 10.3 | 7 | | 2021 TQ6 | 2021-Oct-11 | 9.6 LD | 5.3 | 29 | | 2021 QF5 | 2021-Oct-11 | 15.4 LD | 7.1 | 62 | | 2019 SE5 | 2021-Oct-11 | 16.3 LD | 6.6 | 16 | | 2021 TY2 | 2021-Oct-11 | 10.2 LD | 5.2 | 15 | | 2021 SF1 | 2021-Oct-12 | 6.2 LD | 3.4 | 13 | | 2021 TN1 | 2021-Oct-12 | 7.5 LD | 3.6 | 19 | | 2021 TS10 | 2021-Oct-12 | 16.9 LD | 8.4 | 30 | | 2021 TN9 | 2021-Oct-12 | 10.4 LD | 8.6 | 15 | | 2021 TX10 | 2021-Oct-13 | 2.5 LD | 8.6 | 9 | | 2021 TP8 | 2021-Oct-14 | 4.4 LD | 12.3 | 10 | | 2021 TS3 | 2021-Oct-14 | 10.9 LD | 4.2 | 13 | | 2021 TC1 | 2021-Oct-14 | 14.6 LD | 6.6 | 31 | | 2021 SM1 | 2021-Oct-14 | 6.9 LD | 7.2 | 27 | | 2021 TT4 | 2021-Oct-14 | 5.1 LD | 3.1 | 9 | | 2021 TN6 | 2021-Oct-14 | 10 LD | 19.8 | 33 | | 2021 SM3 | 2021-Oct-15 | 13 LD | 15.8 | 96 | | 2021 TV10 | 2021-Oct-15 | 1.9 LD | 11.6 | 10 | | 2017 TH1 | 2021-Oct-15 | 15 LD | 8.8 | 31 | | 2021 TK10 | 2021-Oct-15 | 5.9 LD | 9.8 | 12 | | 2020 TH6 | 2021-Oct-19 | 7.3 LD | 5.9 | 6 | | 2021 TX2 | 2021-Oct-19 | 9 LD | 10.7 | 33 | | 1996 VB3 | 2021-Oct-20 | 8.8 LD | 15.3 | 135 | | 2021 TV3 | 2021-Oct-21 | 13.3 LD | 12.8 | 47 | | 2021 TE4 | 2021-Oct-21 | 8.3 LD | 6 | 15 | | 2021 SG2 | 2021-Oct-21 | 15.9 LD | 5.9 | 25 | | 2021 RE10 | 2021-Oct-21 | 15.5 LD | 5.1 | 56 | | 2021 TE1 | 2021-Oct-23 | 9.5 LD | 12.5 | 47 | | 2017 SJ20 | 2021-Oct-25 | 18.7 LD | 15.7 | 120 | | 2019 UW6 | 2021-Oct-26 | 8 LD | 11.1 | 17 | | 2009 WY7 | 2021-Nov-02 | 19.2 LD | 14.7 | 54 | | 2017 TS3 | 2021-Nov-02 | 13.9 LD | 9.9 | 131 | | 2005 VL1 | 2021-Nov-04 | 17 LD | 5.2 | 18 | | 2020 KA | 2021-Nov-06 | 14.9 LD | 4.8 | 11 | | 2021 SP3 | 2021-Nov-08 | 15.6 LD | 9.3 | 70 | | 2019 XS | 2021-Nov-09 | 1.5 LD | 10.7 | 65 | | 2017 WG14 | 2021-Nov-10 | 18.6 LD | 11.6 | 45 | | 2007 VD138 | 2021-Nov-12 | 16 LD | 7.7 | 44 | | 2004 UE | 2021-Nov-13 | 11.1 LD | 13.2 | 224 | | 2016 VR | 2021-Nov-15 | 8 LD | 8.7 | 20 | | 2010 VK139 | 2021-Nov-15 | 6.4 LD | 13.9 | 65 | | 2019 VL5 | 2021-Nov-15 | 8.6 LD | 8 | 23 | | 2016 JG12 | 2021-Nov-20 | 14.4 LD | 7.5 | 112 | | 2021 KH2 | 2021-Nov-21 | 19.3 LD | 6.5 | 31 | | 3361 | 2021-Nov-21 | 15.1 LD | 8.1 | 511 | | 2014 WF201 | 2021-Nov-24 | 13.2 LD | 5.5 | 27 | | 2009 WB105 | 2021-Nov-25 | 15.1 LD | 18.9 | 71 | | 2019 BB5 | 2021-Nov-25 | 18.8 LD | 8.3 | 16 | | 1994 WR12 | 2021-Nov-29 | 16.1 LD | 8.8 | 123 | 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. | | 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 6 years, resulting in a unique dataset of in situ atmospheric measurements. Latest results: Our most recent flight on June 25, 2021, confirms a trend of decreasing cosmic radiation: 
Cosmic ray dose rates peaked in late 2019, and have been slowly declining ever since. This makes perfect sense. Solar Minimum was in late 2019. During Solar Minimum the sun's magnetic field weakens, allowing more cosmic rays into the solar system. We expect dose rate to be highest at that time. Now that Solar Minimum has passed, the sun is waking up again. Solar magnetic fields are strengthening, providing a stiffer barrier to cosmic rays trying to enter the solar system. The decline of cosmic radiation above California is a sign that new Solar Cycle 25 is gaining strength. .Who cares? Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can seed clouds, 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. Somewhat more controversial studies (#1, #2, #3, #4) llink cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. En route to the stratosphere, our sensors also pass through aviation altitudes: 
In this plot, dose rates are expessed as multiples of sea level. For instance, we see that boarding a plane that flies at 25,000 feet exposes passengers to dose rates ~10x higher than sea level. At 40,000 feet, the multiplier is closer to 50x. The higher you fly, the more radiation you will absorb. 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 first graph ("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. | | | information about sunspots based on the latest NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary | | | 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. | | | from the NOAA Space Environment Center | | | the underlying science of space weather |  | Going above and beyond to provide the best homes listings in the Comox real estate market to keep you up to date and informed | | One of the most popular casino games is the Book Of Dead Slot based on ancient Egyptian text, you can find all the casinos with spins at bookofdeadslotsites.com. | | When looking for casinos to play online when the weather is bad, you can try luotettavat nettikasinot for Finnish games. If you are not from Finland you can try the Swedish page Svenska casino online to find suitable games, check out svenskacasinoonline.net. Always check your local laws before playing with real money. | | Finns rank fourth among the world’s biggest gamblers. More on Finnish online casinos you can find at Nettikasino site. | | To find reviews of new online casino sites in the UK try The Casino DB where there are hundreds of online casino reviews complete with bonuses and ratings. Alternatively, Online-Casinos.xyz is another massive directory of online casinos listing sites for the UK and Worldwide. Casinos that offer Rupees for bonuses are very generous to Indian players. Find the best online casinos in India at AllCasinos.in Looking for a new online casino? Try Casimpo the new site dedicated to making online casino simple, or check out the new Avenger Slots Casino and Ace Online Casino with over 500 online slots and casino games. | | | These links help Spaceweather.com stay online. Thank you to our supporters! | | | | | | | | |  | | |  | ©2021 Spaceweather.com. All rights reserved. This site is penned daily by Dr. Tony Phillips. | |
