~Space Weather Update~ CME IMPACT~~~ [1]

CME IMPACT: A coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field on March 8th around 1100 UT. The impact was weaker than expected, sparking only a mild (Kp=5) geomagnetic storm. However, the storm could intensify in the hours ahead depending on electromagnetic conditions in the wake of the CME. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: text [2], phone [3].

 

Giovanni Cappelli sends this picture from the tundra east of Murmansk, Russia:

 

[4]

"We were in the tundra waiting for the CME," says Cappelli. "The auroras were better than expected this time. This photo resembled green fire shooting up from the snow "

 

more images: from Pavel Kantsurov [5] of Norilsk, Russia; from Aleksander Chernucho [6] of Kola peninsula, Russia, Mt. Khibiny; from Chad Blakley [7] of Aurora Sky Station, Abisko National Park, Sweden; from Timo Newton-Syms [8] of Ruka, Finland; from Timo Veijalainen [9] of Sodankylä, Finland;

 

HUGE SUNSPOT: Active sunspot AR1429 continues to grow. It is now more than seven times wider than Earth, which makes it an easy target for backyard solar telescopes [10]. In fact, yesterday, David Tremblay of Alto, New Mexico, saw it using no telescope at all. All he needed was a dust storm:

[11]

"The dust blowing from Tularosa Basin was so dense, we could observe the sun with the naked eye--and there was sunspot AR1429. Wow!" says Tremblay.

 

The behemoth spot has unleashed four strong flares since it emerged on March 2nd, including the X5-class eruption of March 7th. More could be in the offing. The active region has a "beta-gamma-delta" class magnetic field that harbors energy for additional X-class eruptions. Solar flare alerts: text [2], phone [3].

 

more images: from Jett Aguilar [12] of Quezon City, Philippines; from James Kevin Ty [13] of Manila, Philippines; from Harald Paleske [14] of Langendorf b. Weißenfels, Germany; from Rogerio Marcon [15] of Campinas SP Brasil; from Monika Landy-Gyebnar [16] of Veszprem, Hungary; from Ron Wayman [17] of Tampa Florida; from John Stetson [18] of Falmouth, Maine; from Robert Lowton [19] of Whaley Bridge, Peak District, United Kingdom; from José Geraldo Mattos [20] of Florianópolis, Jurerê Internacional, Santa Catarina, Brasil; from Matthew Wastell [21] of Brisbane, Australia; from Kiss Csongor [22] of Derecske, Hungary

 

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

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 5 storm
24-hr max: Kp= 5 storm
explanation [33] | more data [34]

Interplanetary Mag. Field
B_total: 11.1 nT
B_z: 0.9 nT south
explanation [35] | more data [36]
Updated: Today at 1817 UT

Coronal Holes: 08 Mar 12

[37]

A solar wind stream flowing from this coronal hole could reach Earth as early as March 9-10. Credit: SDO/AIA.