THE FIREBALLS OF FEBRUARY: A number of unusual fireballs observed around the USA this month have researchers wondering if Earth is passing through a special "February swarm" of meteoroids. [full story]
CRESCENT MOON ALERT: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west into the sunset. An exquisitely, almost invisibly slender crescent Moon is beaming through the twilight. Jens Hackmann took this picture yesterday from Weikersheim, Germany:
"It was a lucky shot," says Hackmann, "because many planes were criss-crossing the sky, but not one of them got in the way of the Moon."
Seeing such a slender Moon is difficult, but it will become easier in the nights ahead as the waxing crescent ascends the evening sky for a dazzling close encounter with Venus and Jupiter. The best nights to look are Feb. 25th and 26th. Get the full story and a video from Science@NASA.
more images: from Stefano De Rosa of Turin (Italy); from Mark Williams of Geneva, Switzerland; from Carl Bernhardt of Riverside, California; from Sam Linse of Mukilteo, Washington; from Elviro Inama of Verona, Italy
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Solar wind
speed: 434.0 km/sec
density: 0.8 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1746 UT
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X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B4 1155 UT Feb23
24-hr: B6 0850 UT Feb23
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1700 UT
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Daily Sun: 23 Feb 12
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A new sunspot is emerging at the circled location. Credit: SDO/HMI
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Sunspot number: 31
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 22 Feb 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 22 Feb 2012
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 104 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 22 Feb 2012
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Current Auroral Oval:
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Switch to: Europe, USA, New Zealand, Antarctica
Credit: NOAA/POES
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Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 1 quiet
explanation | more data
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Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.4 nT
Bz: 2.9 nT south
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1747 UT
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Coronal Holes: 23 Feb 12
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A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole should reach Earth on Feb. 25-26. Credit: SDO/AIA.
