CME And Solar Radiation Storm

From SpaceWeather:

SIGNIFICANT EXPLOSION: A solar radiation storm is in progress on May 22nd following an M5-class solar flare on the sun's western limb.  The explosion not only accelerated a hailstorm of protons toward our planet, but also produced a magnificent CME, which might deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field in the days ahead.

Although the explosion was not Earth-directed, we cannot yet rule out the possibility that the CME could deliver a glancing blow to Earth in the days ahead.

Earth-Directed X-Flare And CME

WARNING!!!!!

Big sunspot AR1520 erupted on July 12th around 16:53 UT, producing an X-class solar flare and hurling a CME directly toward Earth.  Forecasters expect the cloud to arrive on July 14th.  Its impact could spark moderate to severe geomagnetic storms, allowing auroras to be seen at lower latitudes than usual.


For one thing, it hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) directly toward our planet. According to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME will hit Earth on July 14th around 10:20 UT (+/- 7 hours) and could spark strong geomagnetic storms. Sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend.

The explosion also strobed Earth with a pulse of extreme UV radiation, shown here in an image captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory:

The UV pulse partially ionized Earth's upper atmosphere, disturbing the normal propagation of radio signals around the planet. Monitoring stations in Norway and Ireland recorded the sudden ionospheric disturbance.

Finally, solar protons accelerated by the blast are swarming around Earth. The radiation storm, in progress, ranks "S1" on NOAA space weather scales, which means it poses no serious threat to satellites or astronauts. This could change if the storm continues to intensify.

For more information check with Space Weather.

Get Ready, Here It Comes.

DOUBLE CME:  Active sunspot AR1504 is facing Earth and hurling coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in our direction.  A fast-moving CME that left the sun on June 14th is expected to scoop up another CME already en route and deliver a double-blow to Earth's magnetic field on June 16th.  Weak-to-moderate geomagnetic storms are possible when the clouds arrive.

According to the forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CMEs will also hit Venus on June 15th and Mars on June 19th. Because Venus and Mars do not have global magnetic fields to protect them, both of those planets will probably lose tiny amounts of atmosphere when the CMEs strike.

Here on Earth, the impact is likely to trigger a geomagnetic storm around the poles. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on June 16th.

To learn more and track this CME visit SpaceWeather

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING

Once again the Sun (Our Star) has hiccuped.  And this time it could be a lovely show in the sky for those of us in the Northern Latitudes.

A strong geomagnetic storm (Kp=7) is in progress following the impact of a CME during the middle hours of the day on Sept. 9th. This could be the first of several hits from a series of CMEs expected to reach Earth during the weekend. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall. (Observing tip: The hours around midnight are often best for aurora sightings.)

Check with SpaceWeather for the latest information.

CMEs Heading Toward Earth

STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY:  On Sept. 6th, active sunspot 1283 produced two major eruptions including an impulsive X2-class solar flare.  The blasts hurled a pair of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) toward Earth, which could spark geomagnetic activity when they arrive on Sept. 8-10.  High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead.

The flares produced waves of ionization in Earth's upper atmosphere, briefly altering the propagation of low-frequency radio signals around our planet. Moreover, the two eruptions hurled clouds of plasma (CMEs) in our direction. CME impacts, geomagnetic storms and auroras are expected on Sept. 8-10.

This week's sharp increase in solar activity has turned the sun into a radio transmitter. Bursts of shortwave static are coming from the unstable magnetic canopy of sunspot 1283.

Check http://spaceweather.com/ for more updates.