SOLAR ACTIVITY PICKS UP: Dec. 25th began with a pair of magnetic filaments erupting in the sun's northern hemisphere followed by a sequence of C-flares from sunspot 1385 in the sun's southern hemisphere. Both halves of the sun are rocking on Christmas: SDO movie. Coronagraph images from STEREO-A and -B suggest a possible Earth-directed CME. Stay tuned for updates.
CHRISTMAS EVE ERUPTION: A filament of magnetism connected to sunspot AR1386 erupted during the early hours of Dec. 24th. Extreme UV-wavelength cameras onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the picturesque blast:
The C5-class eruption hurled a billion-ton coronal mass ejection (CME) into space, but not toward Earth. With the cloud sailing wide-left of our planet, Christmas geomagnetic storms are unlikely. Nevertheless, this active region merits watching as it turns toward Earth in the days ahead, possibly positioning itself for the first storms of 2012.
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Solar wind
speed: 355.7 km/sec
density: 4.6 protons/cm3
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1445 UT
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X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C8 1126 UT Dec25
24-hr: C8 1126 UT Dec25
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1400 UT
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Daily Sun: 24 Dec 11
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New sunspot 1386 is crackling with C-class flares. Credit: SDO/HMI
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Sunspot number: 101
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 23 Dec 2011
Spotless Days
Current Stretch: 0 days
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 23 Dec 2011
The Radio Sun
10.7 cm flux: 138 sfu
explanation | more data
Updated 23 Dec 2011
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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= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 1 quiet
explanation | more data
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Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 3.9 nT
Bz: 2.7 nT north
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at 1446 UT
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Coronal Holes: 24 Dec 11
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A solar wind stream flowing from this coronal hole could reach Earth between Dec. 27th and 30th. Credit: SDO/AIA.
