~ Space Weather~BIG SUNSPOT, HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY, Delayed CME [1]
CME DELAYED: A CME expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field on Feb 2nd did not arrive on time. A new analysis by NOAA forecasters suggests it will reach Earth on Feb. 4th instead. The late arrival could spark minor geomagnetic storms and auroras on Tuesday. Aurora alerts: text [2], voice [3]
BIG SUNSPOT, HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY: Solar activity reached high levels yesterday with seven M-class [4] solar flares and three CMEs. Almost all of the explosions were produced by monster sunspot AR1967, shown here in a photo from Chris Schur of Payson, Arizona:
[5]
Click to view the entire sunspot [5]. AR1967 is wider than the planet Jupiter and its primary dark cores are big enough to swallow Earth many times over. The scale [6] of the thing makes it an easy target for backyard solar telescopes. "I used an Explore Scientific AR152 [7] to take the picture," says Schur. "This is one of the most photogenic sunspots I have ever seen."
AR1967 has a 'delta-class' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong eruptions. The growing complexity of the region has prompted NOAA forecasters to boost the odds of X-flares [4] to 50% during the next 24 hours. Because AR1967 is near the center of the solar disk, any eruptions will be squarely Earth directed. Solar flare alerts: text [2], voice [3]
 |
Solar wind
speed: 355.3 km/sec
density: 3.7 protons/cm3
explanation [8] | more data [9]
Updated: Today at 1636 UT
|
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C7 1254 UT Feb03
24-hr: C9 0830 UT Feb03
explanation [10] | more data [11]
Updated: Today at: 1600 UT
|
|
Daily Sun: 03 Feb 14
|
[12]
|
Earth-facing sunspot AR1967 has a 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for X-class [4] solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
|
|
Sunspot number: 163
What is the sunspot number? [13]
Updated 03 Feb 2014
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2014 total: 0 days (0%)
2013 total: 0 days (0%)
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Update 03 Feb 2014
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 166 sfu
explanation [14] | more data [15]
Updated 03 Feb 2014
|
|
Current Auroral Oval:
|
[16] |
Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
|
|
Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2 quiet
explanation [17] | more data [18]
|
Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 5.3 nT
Bz: 2.2 nT north
explanation [19] | more data [20]
Updated: Today at 1637 UT
|
|
Coronal Holes: 03 Feb 14
|
[21]
|
There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.