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| SOHO Pick of the Week |
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Solar Surface Wave NEW May 05, 2008 SOHO's EIT telescope observed a wave streak across part of the solar surface when a (moderate) flare erupted on April 26, 2008. As seen in the extreme UV wavelength of 195 Angstroms, in both the pair of stills and the video clip, a series of "post-flare" loops above replace the pre-existing active region structure when a faint wave erupts toward the upper left and a noticeable dimming occurs with its passage: coronal plasma, at temperatures of 1.5 million Kelvin, has been swept out of that part of the corona by the wave and coronal mass ejection. |
| Space Weather Video of the Week |
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The Magnetosphere NEW May 05 – May 12, 2008 The Earth is a huge magnet, and its magnetic influence extends far into space. In our everyday environment, magnetic forces are of no importance and a sensitive instrument, the compass needle, is needed to detect them. That is because we, the materials we encounter in everyday life, even the oxygen and nitrogen which we breathe, are all electrically neutral. The atoms of oxygen, for instance, contain electrons with negative electric charges and protons which are positive, but the two charges balance each other andthe electric and magnetic forces cancel. Magnetic forces have almost no effect on neutral atoms. |
| Latest Space Weather News |
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NASA Calls on APL to Send a Probe to the Sun NEW May 02, 2008 The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is sending a spacecraft closer to the sun than any probe has ever gone – and what it finds could revolutionize what we know about our star and the solar wind that influences everything in our solar system. NASA has tapped APL to develop the ambitious Solar Probe mission, which will study the streams of charged particles the sun hurls into space from a vantage point within the sun’s corona – its outer atmosphere |
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'Broken
Heart' Image the Last for NASA’s Long-Lived Polar Mission
Apr. 28, 2008 As far as endings go, this one’s a real heart breaker. NASA’s Polar satellite concludes its successful mission at the end of April with a breathtaking visible-light image of the colorful dancing lights of the aurora. The Polar team has dubbed this final image "The Broken Heart." When the Polar satellite launched February 24, 1996, the plan was for a two-year science mission to study the lights that form a ring around Earth’s north and south magnetic poles, known as the Northern and Southern Lights, or auroras. |
| Costello Geomagnetic Activity Index |
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The Costello Geomagnetic Activity Index model was developed by Kirt Costello at Rice University under support from the US Air Force and Sterling Software, Inc. It is a neural network algorithm that was trained on the response of the Kp geomagnetic activity index to solar wind parameters. The model takes the most recent two hours of solar wind data and returns a 3-hour activity index prediction in units of Kp. The valid time of the prediction is indicated on the output graphics by horizontal bars. SEC's test product based on this model is an estimate of the geomagnetic activity level, in Kp units, generated every 15 minutes. |
| Solar and Geophysical Activity Summary |
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Issued:
2008 May 12, 02:48 UTC
Joint USAF/NOAA Solar and Geophysical Activity Summary SGAS Number 133 Issued at 0245Z on 12 May 2008 This report is compiled from data received at SWO on 11 May A. Energetic Events Begin Max End Rgn Loc Xray Op 245MHz 10cm Sweep None B. Proton Events: None C. Geomagnetic Activity Summary: The geomagnetic field was quiet. D. Stratwarm: Not Available E. Daily Indices: (real-time preliminary/estimated values) 10 cm 068 SSN 000 Afr/Ap 003/003 X-ray Background LT A1.0 Daily Proton Fluence (flux accumulation over 24 hrs) GT 1 MeV 1.9e+06 GT 10 MeV 1.8e+04 p/(cm2-ster-day) (GOES-11 satellite synchronous orbit W135 degrees) Daily Electron Fluence GT 2 MeV 1.00e+08 e/(cm2-ster-day) (GOES-12 satellite synchronous orbit W74 degrees) 3 Hour K-indices: Boulder 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Planetary 2 1 0 0 1 1 2 1 F. Comments: None |
| MDI Farside Image |
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The Earthside, or near-side, data are smoothed magnetic flux as measured by MDI. The images are shown to 70 degrees from disk center. Each magnetogram takes only one minute to observe. The farside images are maps of wave speed variations with locations of faster wave speed shown darker. These darker regions indicate locations where there is an accumulation of magnetic field on the far surface. The farside images can only be computed out to 45 degrees from the farside disk center as (un)seen from Earth. A full 24-hours of MDI surface velocity data is used to compute each image. |
| Current SOHO Images and Video's |
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| Sunspots | MDI Continuum | MDI Magnetogram | LASCO C2 | LASCO C3 | EIT 171 | EIT 195 | EIT 284 | EIT 304 |
| SECCHI Beacon Images |
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| EUVI 195 Behind | COR1 Behind | COR2 Behind | HI1 Behind | EUVI 195 Ahead | COR1 Ahead | COR2 Ahead | HI1 Ahead |
| Summary Report of Solar-Geophysical Activity | Weekly Highlights and Forecasts |
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Issued:
2008 May 11, 22:03 UTC
Joint USAF/NOAA Report of Solar and Geophysical Activity SDF Number 132 Issued at 2200Z on 11 May 2008 IA. Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity from 10/2100Z to 11/2100Z: Solar activity was very low. The visible solar disk remains spotless. IB. Solar Activity Forecast: Solar activity is expected to be very low. IIA. Geophysical Activity Summary 10/2100Z to 11/2100Z: The geomagnetic field was at quiet levels. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was high. IIB. Geophysical Activity Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet on day 1 (12 May). Quiet to unsettled conditions with isolated active periods are possible for days 2-3 (13-14 May). The increase in activity is expected due to a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream. III. Event Probabilities 12 May-14 May Class M 01/01/01 Class X 01/01/01 Proton 01/01/01 PCAF green IV. Penticton 10.7 cm Flux Observed 11 May 068 Predicted 12 May-14 May 070/070/070 90 Day Mean 11 May 071 V. Geomagnetic A Indices Observed Afr/Ap 10 May 004/005 Estimated Afr/Ap 11 May 004/005 Predicted Afr/Ap 12 May-14 May 005/005-008/012-008/008 VI. Geomagnetic Activity Probabilities 12 May-14 May A. Middle Latitudes Active 10/15/15 Minor storm 05/05/05 Major-severe storm 01/01/01 B. High Latitudes Active 15/25/20 Minor storm 05/10/10 Major-severe storm 01/05/05 |
Issued:
2008 May 08, 05:53 UTC
Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 28 April - 04 May 2008 Solar activity was very low. Region 993 (S29, L=086, class/area, Bxo/010 on 04 May) formed on the visible solar disk on 04 May as a small, simple bi-polar sunspot group. This region displayed a new cycle magnetic configuration (positive polarity leader, negative polarity trailer). No proton events were observed at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit reached high levels during 28 April - 01 May. The geomagnetic field was at quiet to unsettled levels during 28 April until late in the UTC day on 30 April when activity levels increased to unsettled to active conditions. Mostly unsettled to active conditions persisted until early on 02 May as activity decreased to quiet to unsettled levels, and remained so through the end of the summary period. Solar wind speed measurements from the ACE spacecraft began the period at approximately 500 km/s with the IMF Bz ranging between +/-5 nT; speeds then slowly declined to around 370 km/s by midday on 30 April. At approximately 30 April at 1500 UTC an increase was observed in solar wind data consistent with a glancing blow from a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed on 26 April. For the next several days wind speed remained elevated with a maximum of 525 km/s on 01 May at 0028 UTC and IMF Bz ranging between +/- 8 nT. Midday on 03 May a coronal hole high speed stream rotated into a geoeffective position elevating wind speeds to around 580 km/s. The period ended with wind speeds above 600 km/s. Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 07 May - 02 June 2008 Solar activity is expected to be very low. No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit. The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to reach high levels during 07 - 08 May, 21 - 28 May, and 01 - 02 June. Geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels 07 - 12 May. On 13 May, a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream is expected to increase activity levels to unsettled to active conditions. Activity levels are expected to decline to quiet to unsettled levels 14 - 18 May. Conditions should increase to unsettled to active, with a chance for minor storm levels at middle latitudes and major storm periods at high latitudes on 19 - 21 May, due to a recurrent coronal hole high speed stream. On 22 May, activity levels should abate to quiet to unsettled levels until 26 May. Recurrent high speed streams are expected to increase activity again to unsettled to active levels for 27 May - 02 June. |
| PCW Memorial Observatory Solar Observations by Erika Rix |
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Solar H-alpha: 2008 05 04, 1035ST - 1145ST (1435UT – 1545UT) NEW May 05, 2008 New active region in the ESE quadrant was visible with two crescent shaped plage facing each other during the h-alpha observing session. In white light, seeing was very poor making it invisible at first glance. Eventually my eyes were able to see two dark specks in the AR, appearing to be only umbrae, with the more easterly one slightly darker and thicker. |
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Solar
H-alpha 2008 April 06
Apr. 06, 2008 Equipment: Internally double stacked Maxscope 60mm, LXD75, 40mm ProOptic Plossl, 21-7mm Zhumell Sketch Media: H-alpha - Black Strathmore Artagain paper, white Conte’ and Prang pencils, white vinyl eraser. Added –25 brightness, +15 contrast after scanning in color at 300 dpi. Tilting Sun program used for digital Sun insert. |
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Solar
H-alpha and White Light: 2008 March 26
March 27, 2008 It was said that today NOAA 10989 produced an M2-class eruption causing a CME. I have to say that each of the three active regions had very bright plage seeming to curve around the dark specks of sunspots within each region. It’s not often I get such a great view of the sunspots themselves in h-alpha, but today 10988 had the largest umbral area and they all had one or two smaller dark spots. I could hardly wait to pull out the ETX70 with a white light filter to see the sunspots themselves in much greater detail. |
| PCW Memorial Observatory Archive |
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When we reached our destination, any momentary disappointment of being led into the gymnasium soon turned into a flutter of anticipation when we quietly followed her up on the stage and she then turned off all the lights after pulling the huge stage curtains shut. You could hear all my classmates inhale from surprise at the sudden darkness, myself included. It was soon followed by giggles when out of the darkness a flashlight clicked on and the only sight to be seen was my teacher’s smiling face. I remember her well. She was one of my favorites, very kind, and full of wonder. The next hour we all sat there cross legged, wide eyed in a circle around her as she explained to us about the our solar system. It seemed as if she had several floating hands rotating the model planets in midair around our sun, the flashlight. It was amazing and left a remarkable impact on me. |
Solar H-alpha: March 23, 2008 March 24, 2008 Sun in h-alpha 2008/02/16 Feb. 16, 2008 Solar H-alpha 02/11/2008 Feb. 11, 2008 Solar H-alpha Jan. 25, 2008 Solar H-alpha Jan. 24, 2008 Open Cluster Observations Apr. 12, 2007 First Report from the PCW Memorial Observatory May 29, 2007 First Solar Report From PCW Memorial Observatory June 10, 2007 Word for the day: Opacity Aug. 27, 2007 Solar Observation / 112307 Nov. 23, 2007 Solar Observation / 112407 Nov. 24, 2007 Solar Observation / 113007 Dec. 01, 2007 Solar Observation / 2007-12-25 Dec. 25, 2007 |
| Space Weather News Archive |
| Special Notices |
| Goes 11 Status February 12, 2008 GOES 10 now the primary -- and only -- Satellite for X-ray Data February 12, 2008 -- GOES 11 X-ray data have been unavailable since Feb. 10. The expectation is that GOES 11 X-rays will remain unavailable. Other GOES 11 data are still available. GOES 10 is now the primary satellite for SWPC X-ray data. There are no secondary GOES X-ray data at this time. GOES 10 data resumed at 1630 UT on Feb 10 and will continue indefinitely. |
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