Tag Archives: geomagnetic storm

Sun online. Solar activity

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Solar activity is very low, with only three C-class flare reported during last 24 hours. The strongest flare was the C1.6 flare (peaked at 16:00 UT on October 07) originating from the not yet classified active region at about N15 E25. No Earth-directed CMEs were observed during last 24 hours. We expect solar activity to remain low with occasional C-class flares.ACE solar wind data indicate possible arrival of the sector boundary or ICME (solar origin is not yet understood). The sector change was observed at about 05:30 UT this morning. The  Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field is fluctuating and it had few intervals of negative value (up to – 8 nT). Simultaneously to the longest interval of negative Bz (about 4 hours) the magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field had reached the value of about 10 nT. Currently the interplanetary magnetic field magnitude is about 4 nT and the solar wind speed is still low with the value of about 350 km/s. Due to negative intervals of Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field we have currently active geomagnetic conditions (K=4 reported by local station at Dourbes). We expect unsettled to active geomagnetic conditions to continue in the coming hours.

Sunspot at Sunset


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Image Credit & Copyright: Jürg Alean

Sunsets may be the most watched celestial event, but lately sunsets have even offered something extra. A sunspot so large it was visible to the naked eye is captured in Swiss skies in this sunset scene from January 5, crossing left to right near the center of a solar disk dimmed and distorted by Earth’s dense atmosphere. Detailed views reveal a large solar active region composed of sunspots, some larger than planet Earth itself. Cataloged as active region AR 1944, on January 7 it produced a substantial solar flare and a coronal mass ejection (CME) forecast to reach Earth. The CME could trigger geomagnetic storms and aurora on January 9.

NASA APOD 08-Jan-14