~Space Weather Update~STORM WARNING, CANCELED~QUIETING SUNSPOT

STORM WARNING, CANCELED: A brief geomagnetic storm on Feb. 15th sparked by a CME impact has petered out, and the chances for auroras this weekend are subsiding. The CME appears to have been a merger of three minor clouds that, even together, could not cause a sustained disturbance in Earth's magnetic field. The hoped-for Valentine's display of auroras never materialized. Aurora alerts: text, voice

QUIETING SUNSPOT: After days of nonstop activity, big sunspot AR1974 is quieting. The sunspot's magnetic field appears to be losing some of its unstable complexity, prompting NOAA forecasters to downgrade the chance of an X-class flare today to only 5%. A beautiful sunset is more likely. Stan Honda sends this picture from New York City:

"I shot this colorful sunset from the roof of a highrise apartment building on the west side of Manhattan," says Honda. "A series of sunspots was visible stretching across the solar equator." AR1974 is the largest, near the treeline.

Warning: Even when the sun is dimmed by low-hanging clouds or haze, it can still damage your eyes. Sunlight magnified by unfiltered optics is dangerously bright. If you chose to photograph the low sun, as Honda did, use the camera's LCD screen for viewfinding. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 3 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 5 storm
explanation | more data

Interplanetary Mag. Field
B_total: 9.1 nT
B_z: 2.9 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1657 UT

Coronal Holes: 16 Feb 14

Solar wind flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth on Feb. 18-19. Credit: SDO/AIA.