~Space Weather Update~ ALMOST-X FLARE:

ALMOST-X FLARE: On Oct. 20th at 1814 UT, Earth-orbiting satellites detected a strong M9-class solar flare. The source was a new sunspot, AR1598, emerging over the sun's southeastern limb. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash (image), which sent waves of ionization rippling through Earth's upper atmosphere. More flares are in the offing. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-flares and a 10% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours. Solar flare alerts: text, voice.

ORIONID METEOR UPDATE: The Orionid meteor shower is underway as Earth passes through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet. International meteor counts suggest a broad peak of about 25 meteors per hour centered on Oct. 21st. If the trend holds, sky watchers can expect to see a dozen or so Orionids flitting across the sky every hour after midnight on Oct. 21-22. Got clouds? Try listening for Orionid 'pings' on the realtime meteor radar.

Last night, Oct. 21st, Bill Vaughn photographed this piece of Halley's Comet burning up over Mt. Lemmon, north of Tucson, Arizona:

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

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 1 quiet
explanation | more data

Interplanetary Mag. Field
B_total: 4.3 nT
B_z: 0.0 nT
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1916 UT

Coronal Holes: 21 Oct 12

There are no large coronal holes on the Earthside of the sun. Credit: SDO/AIA.