Solar Activity Watch 2011

reply to post by crazydaisy


I am so jealous!!!! That pic is awesome and it would be fantastic to see in person! Thanks for sharing that (even though I am stewing in my own jealousy right now)!

I am curious if anyone has any ideas on where this storm came from?

We are not currently in the line of fire from any coronal holes, at least until around the 3rd or 4th. The only other thing I can think of right now is that M-3 from 1163 the other day, but that was not Earth directed. How could that be hitting us?

reply to post by lasertaglover

Actually, there has been a large coronal hole proceeding regions 1163 and 1164 since they appeared.


The solar wind is demonstrating high speed and low density, typical of the products of coronal holes. The geomagnetic activity was a result of the sustained (and strong) south turn.



Fixed image link.

reply to post by Phage


Thanks Phage!

I guess I must have totally missed that somehow.

reply to post by lasertaglover


It's now at a G2-class Geomagnetic Storm SOURCE
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 6 storm
24-hr max: Kp= 6 storm
explanation | more data

MAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS: A solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field during the early hours of March 1st, sparking a G2-class geomagnetic storm, in progress. High latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

Which only moves it from minor to moderate storm (thanks for that link btw - nice to see a quick table of the things that may be effected in each class), but now I *could* be able to see the auroras...now if only the clouds would cooperate and go away.

1164 is looking a little bit more interesting today with a slight chance of a X-class flare.

roduct: Solar Region Summary
:Issued: 2011 Mar 02 0030 UTC
# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,
# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.
#
Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary
SRS Number 61 Issued at 0030Z on 02 Mar 2011
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 01 Mar
I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 01/2400Z
Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type
1163 N17E05 179 0010 Bxo 03 02 Beta
1164 N25E20 165 0550 Ekc 14 31 Beta-Gamma-Delta
1165 S22E03 182 0060 Cso 05 09 Beta
IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 01/2400Z Mar
Nmbr Location Lo
None
II. Regions Due to Return 02 Mar to 04 Mar
Nmbr Lat Lo
1157 N19 083

www.swpc.noaa.gov...

and:

Updated at: 2011 Mar 01 2200 UTC
FLARE 0-24 hr 24-48 hr
CLASS M 35 % 35 %
CLASS X 05 % 05 %

spaceweather.com...

Lots of stuff on the sun right now, including 1164 having a Beta-Gamma-Delta Field:

Updated at: 2011 Mar 05 2200 UTC
FLARE 0-24 hr 24-48 hr
CLASS M 45 % 45 %
CLASS X 05 % 05 %

roduct: Solar Region Summary
:Issued: 2011 Mar 05 0030 UTC
# Prepared jointly by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA,
# Space Weather Prediction Center and the U.S. Air Force.
#
Joint USAF/NOAA Solar Region Summary
SRS Number 64 Issued at 0030Z on 05 Mar 2011
Report compiled from data received at SWO on 04 Mar
I. Regions with Sunspots. Locations Valid at 04/2400Z
Nmbr Location Lo Area Z LL NN Mag Type
1164 N25W19 164 0570 Ekc 14 27 Beta-Gamma-Delta
1165 S19W40 186 0020 Bxo 04 06 Beta
1166 N09E55 090 0490 Eac 11 15 Beta
1167 N15E20 125 0020 Bxo 07 05 Beta
1168 N24W73 218 0000 Axx 01 01 Alpha
IA. H-alpha Plages without Spots. Locations Valid at 04/2400Z Mar
Nmbr Location Lo
1163 N17W37 183
II. Regions Due to Return 05 Mar to 07 Mar
Nmbr Lat Lo
1158 S19 050

And I thought the definitions might be useful:

Mount Wilson Sunspot Magnetic Classification
back to SpaceWeather.com

Classification of the magnetic character of sunspots according to rules set forth by the Mount Wilson Observatory in California.

alpha: A unipolar sunspot group.

beta: A sunspot group having both positive and negative magnetic polarities (bipolar), with a simple and distinct division between the polarities.

gamma: A complex active region in which the positive and negative polarities are so irregularly distributed as to prevent classification as a bipolar group.

beta-gamma: A sunspot group that is bipolar but which is sufficiently complex that no single, continuous line can be drawn between spots of opposite polarities.

delta: A qualifier to magnetic classes(see below) indicating that umbrae separated by less than 2 degrees within one penumbra have opposite polarity.

beta-delta: A sunspot group of general beta magnetic classification but containing one (or more) delta spot(s).

beta-gamma-delta: A sunspot group of beta-gamma magnetic classification but containing one (or more) delta spot(s).

gamma-delta: A sunspot group of gamma magnetic classification but containing one (or more) delta spot(s).

www.spaceweather.com...

Crap! I should have been reading this thread, keep forgettin bout it.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I had seen this earlier, and didn't think anything of it, but then the anti-conspiracy side of my brain started thinking that someone is going to look at this, and go 'OMG'. It is close, but it is tiny. Nothing to worry about at all, and good luck trying to see it.

2011 EY11 Mar 7 0.3 LD -- 9 m

spaceweather.com...

We've had a M1 Flare

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M1 1431 UT Mar07
24-hr: M1 1431 UT Mar07

Activity may be on the rise again as far as flares are concerned.
The geomagnetic storm that was to enter earths atmosphere yesterday,
I didn't hear of any problems from it.

Thanks for all the info and updates!

Five large flares on the Sun cause a NOAA radio event alert II

www.theweatherspace.com...

Solar flare warning issued for South Africa, break out the 1000SPF sunscreen....

technology.iafrica.com...

M3 Flare! Just now.

www.swpc.noaa.gov...

Max
07/2012
M3.7
Int 5.3e-02 J m-2

Direct TV was shut down for a minutes here in southern California due to space weather.

Looks like 1166 is very active. I sell on-line and with satellite internet. Haven't had any real troubles yet. Hopefully we don't get any big X-class CME flares yet. It might be a bumpy ride from now till the end of the 2013 solar peak. Satellites would be the first to go during a massive CME. I just wish I could get cable were I live.

reply to post by ambient moon

Most of the flare activity is coming from 1164 and 1165. 1164 is putting on a great CME show, not geoeffective.

1166 may be starting to heat up . It looks like there was a minor CME associated with the M1.7 at 13:45.

I guess we have another record for this solar cycle - the week with the highest number of sunspots facing Earth I already count 5 with the potential of 6 for a short period of time..

Did anyone see the SOHO/LASCO/C2 picture yet?



(22:24)

What is the feature at 2 o ' clock? Maybe this is normal for a solar flare? never seen one under LASCO C2..

source:
stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov...

reply to post by Romanian

Not a flare. A CME from 1164.
There does not seem to be a flare of much significance associated with it.
www.abovetopsecret.com...