GROWING QUIET: A sharp drop in solar activity is expected now that sunspot AR1429 has rotated onto the far side of the sun. No major flares are in the offing this weekend.
CME IMPACT: As expected, the flank of a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on March 15th around 1300 UT. The impact sparked a moderate (Kp=6) geomagnetic storm with perfect timing for sky watchers in New Zealand. "The CME arrived at 2 o'clock in the morning here in Queenstown," says photographer Minoru Yoneto. In the dark, he drove to his favorite spot on a mountain overlooking the city and recorded the storm:
"The auroras danced until sunrise," says Yoneto.
The CME also sparked aurora australis over Antarctica. "Our overwintering at the German Antarctic Research Station Neumayer III has just begun," reports Stefan Christmann. "We were watching a movie when, all of a sudden, our meteorologist coes in with the news. We rushed outside and experienced our first auroras of the season with green and red lights dancing across the moonlit sky."
The storm is subsiding now. Nevertheless, high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras as the wake of the CME continues to buffet Earth's magnetic field. Aurora alerts: text, phone.
more images: from Andrei Penescu of Kangerlussuaq, Greenland; from Iurie Belegurschi of Þingvellir National Park, Iceland; from Brian Whittaker flying 36,000 feet over Greenland; from Göran Strand of Östersund, Sweden; from Brandon Lovett of Fairbanks, Alaska; from Petra Martinkovicova of Thingvellir National Park, Iceland; from Dirk Obudzinski of Cleary Summit, Alaska; from Travis Novitsky of Grand Portage, MN; from Lance Parrish of Skiland, Alaska; from Matt Melnyk of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; from Lars Poort of Nuuk, Greenland;
Solar wind
speed: 647.9 km/sec
density: 0.9 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1531 UT
X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1 1240 UT Mar16
24-hr: C1 0232 UT Mar16
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1500 UT
Daily Sun: 16 Mar 12
Solar activity should sharply drop for at least a couple of days now that big sunspot AR1429 has rotated off the Earth-facing side of the sun. Credit: SDO/HMI
Sunspot number: 85
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 15 Mar 2012
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
2012 total: 0 days (0%)
2011 total: 2 days (<1%)
2010 total: 51 days (14%)
2009 total: 260 days (71%)
Since 2004: 821 days
Typical Solar Min: 486 days
Updated 15 Mar 2012
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 111 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 15 Mar 2012
Current Auroral Oval:
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
Btotal: 6.5 nT
Bz: 2.1 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1535 UT
Coronal Holes: 16 Mar 12
A solar wind stream flowing from this coronal hole could reach Earth on March 18-19. Credit: SDO/AIA.
