2014 SPACEWEATHER PAGES  JANUARY - FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST,

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SPACE WEATHER BUOY LANDS IN DEATH VALLEY: A space weather buoy launched on Sept. 28th to measure radiation levels in the stratosphere has landed in a remote area of California's Death Valley National Park. Students from Earth to Sky Calculus are en route to the payload now. Earlier this month a CME swept away many of the cosmic rays that normally surround our planet, causing a drop in stratospheric radiation. The goal of the Sept. 28th flight was to measure the recovery. Has the stratosphere returned to normal? Stay tuned for answers.

GEOMAGNETIC UNREST: Earth's polar magnetic field is unsettled, causing polar skies to turn green. "For the third time in four days our group experienced a light show that was out of this world," reports aurora tour guide Chad Blakley from Sweden's Abisko National Park. "Last night, after several hours of stormy weather the clouds parted like curtains on a stage allowing us to see some of the strongest auroras of the season."

The ongoing display is a result of our planet's response to the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The IMF has tipped south, slightly, just enough to open a crack in Earth's magnetosphere. Solar wind is leaking in to fuel the auroras.

"If the next six months are anything like September we are going to have an amazing aurora season," says Blakely.

The nights ahead could be amazing too. NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% to 40% chance of polar geomagnetic storms from Sept. 30th through Oct. 2nd. Monitor the aurora gallery for sightings.

9-30-14

Solar wind
speed: 400.0 km/sec
density: 8.6 protons/cm³

INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES: There are now four sunspot groups on the solar disk with unstable magnetic fields, which means an eruption today is likely. NOAA forecasters have raised the daily odds of an M-class solar flare to 75% and an X-flare to 15%. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

EVENING SKY SHOW: When the sun ges down tonight, step outside and look southwest. Mars, Antares and the crescent Moon have lined up to form a near-vertical column of heavenly bodies just above the horizon. Last night, Alan Dyer photographed the trio converging over Cluny, Alberta, Canada:

"It was a beautiful crisp autumn evening for watching the twilight show of the waxing Moon and the pairing of Mars and his rival red star, Antares," says Dyer. " I shot this image as part of a time-lapse sequence overlooking the Bow River in southern Alberta."

As the twilight sky fades to black, pay special attention to the visual appearance of Mars and Antares. They are nearly identical. In Greek, "Antares" means "rival of Mars" or "anti-Mars," so-named because it is about the same brightness and color as the Red Planet. Seeing the two side-by-side as their ruddy light beams through the darkening cobalt sky is a rare pleasure. Sky maps: Sept. 28, 29.

9-29-14

Solar wind
speed: 366.7 km/sec
density: 7.0 protons/cm³

SOLAR FLARE: Weekend fireworks were predicted, and the sun complied. On Sunday, Sept. 28th (0258 UT), the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2173 erupted, producing an M5-class solar flare. The sun was high overhead in Australia when Matt Wastell of Brisbane photographed the explosion:

Extreme UV radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, disturbing the normal propagation of radio transmissions around our planet. In particular, there was a limited blackout of HF radio communications and a probable loss of shortwave radio contact in daylit areas for some tens of minutes.

At the moment, we do not know if this explosion hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. Based on the impulsiveness (brevity) of the flare, we think not. A final answer awaits coronagraph data from the SOHO and STEREO spacecraft.

Wastell's picture, which he took using a solar telescope tuned to the red glow of solar hydrogen, shows more than a half-dozen dark magnetic filaments winding across the face of the sun. Like sunspots, these filaments pose a threat for flares. When a magnetic filament collapses it can hit the stellar surface and explode, causing a type of "spotless" explosion called a Hyder flare.

Taking into account all of the sunspots as well as the filaments, NOAA forecasters estimate a 65% chance of M-class flares and a 10% chance of X-flares in the next 24 hours

9-28-14

Solar wind
speed: 374.8 km/sec
density: 3.1 protons/cm³

SOMETHING IN THE OFFING: During the early hours of Sept. 26th, something exploded behind the southeastern edge of the solar disk. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed a massive plume of debris rising over the sun's limb:

As the inset shows, the plasma-plume was big enough to swallow dozens of planets Earth. In this case, however, Earth was not in the line of fire. The ejecta will completely miss our planet.

X-rays from the eruption registered C8 on the Richter Scale of Solar Flares. The actual intensity must have been much higher, though, because the flare was eclipsed by the edge of the sun. The underlying active region might be potent.

In a few days, the blast site will emerge into view as the sun's rotation turns it toward Earth. Then we will be able to evaluate its potential for future eruptions, increasingly geoeffective as the sun slowly spins on its axis. Stay tuned! Solar flare alerts: text, voice

9-27-14

Solar wind
speed: 404.2 km/sec
density: 3.2 protons/cm³

MEANWHILE IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: While much attention is being paid to the fact that September's equinox kicked off aurora season in the Northern Hemisphere, we should not forget that the Southern Hemisphere has just experienced the exact same equinox. It is aurora season there, too. Petr Horálek sends this example of Southern Lights over Lauder, New Zealand, on Sept 25th:

"The auroras burned very low above the southern horizon here at the NIWA atmospheric research station," Horálek says. "The opened dome is the BOOTES telescope, which is used to detect the optical afterglow of distant gamma-ray bursts. A green lidar behind me reflected from the dome, giving it a green hue."

For reasons researchers do not fully understand, at this time of year even gentle gusts of solar wind can ignite beautiful auroras. Indeed, this weekend Earth is passing through a minor stream of solar wind that has both poles aglow. Browse the realtime aurora gallery for sightings.

43 fireballs sighted

9-26-14

Solar wind
speed: 436.8 km/sec
density: 7.3 protons/cm³

FAST-GROWNG SUNSPOT: New sunspot AR2175 didn't exist one day ago. Now it stretches more than 100,000 km across the face of the sun with a primary dark core larger than Earth. The fast-growing region has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares.

On October 8th there will be a total eclipse of the Moon. Got clouds? No problem. The event will be broadcast live on the web by the Coca-Cola Science Center.     FAST-GROWNG SUNSPOT: New sunspot AR2175 didn't exist one day ago. Now it stretches more than 100,000 km across the face of the sun with a primary dark core larger than Earth. The fast-growing region has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Solar flare alerts: text, voice FIRST LIGHT FOR MAVEN: A key goal of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft is to learn how space weather affects the upper atmosphere of Mars. Just days after MAVEN reached the Red Planet, the data are starting to flow. "Our Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument obtained these false-color images of Mars on Sept. 22nd," says Nick Schneider who leads the IUVS team at the University of Colorado. "They trace the distribution of two important gases, hydrogen and oxygen." Image credit: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, U. Colorado; NASA "The oxygen gas is held close to the planet by Mars's gravity, while lighter hydrogen gas expands to higher altitudes and extends past the edges of the image," he explains. "These gases come from the breakdown of water and carbon dioxide in Mars's atmosphere." Billions of years ago, Mars was blanketed an atmosphere massive enough to warm the planet and allow liquid water to flow on its surface. Today, only a tiny fraction of that ancient air remains. Where did it go? One possibility is space weather: Solar storms and the relentless buffeting of solar wind might have stripped away much of the planet's gaseous envelope. The IUVS might be able to see this process in action--especially in the aftermath of a CME strike. "We expect to see something!" says Schneider. "MAVEN's primary science goal is to see how the atmosphere responds to solar forcing. So on the one hand, a CME might strip way the outermost layers of the atmosphere. On the other, it might also energize the atmosphere below and repopulate the extended atmosphere with a lot of new material." Either way, IUVS can observe what happens. The instrument is also capable of observing martian auroras. "We're on the edges of our seats, hoping for our first detection," he says. Stay tuned!

9-25-14

Solar wind
speed: 457.7 km/sec
density: 6.3 protons/cm³

FARSIDE ERUPTION: An impressive halo CME billowed away from the sun during the late hours of Sept. 24th: movie. Data from NASA's STEREO spacecraft pinpoint the blast site: It's on the farside of the sun. Earth was not in the line of fire.

9-24-14

Solar wind
speed: 398.6 km/sec
density: 3.1 protons/cm³

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX: Today, Sept. 23rd at 0229 UT, the sun crossed the celestial equator heading south. The crossing marks the beginning of fall in the northern hemisphere--a.k.a. the autumnal equinox. Equinox means equal night. With the sun near the celestial equator, we experience equal amounts of daylight and darkness, 12 hours of each

BROODING GIANT: Solar activity is low. However, new sunspot AR2172 threatens to break the quiet. Karzaman Ahmad photographed the behemoth active region on Sept. 22nd from the Langkawi National Observatory in Maylasia:

The sunspot's primary dark cores are nearly as wide as Earth, and the entire group stretches more than 80,000 km from end to end. These dimensions make AR2172 an easy target for small solar telescopes. "I took the picture using an 11-inch telescope," says Ahmad.

Yesterday, for a while, the sunspot's magnetic field displayed an unstable mixture of polarities that harbored energy for strong explosions. Now the threat has subsided. As the situation shifts back and forth, NOAA forcasters estimate a 30% chance ofM-class flares and a 5% chance of X-flares on Sept. 23rd. 

32 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-23-14

Solar wind
speed: 413.6 km/sec
density: 5.2 protons/cm³

TODAY IS THE AUTUMNAL EQUINOX - 12 HOUR OF LIGHT AND 12 HOURS OF DARK

AS LONG AS YOU DON'T LIVE IN OR NEAR A LARGE FOREST FIRE

KING FOREST FIRE - NOW AT 90,000 ACRES

THIS FIRE WAS STARTED BY A HUMAN BEING

9-22-14

Solar wind
speed: 436.2 km/sec
density: 3.4 protons/cm³

CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION: NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept. 23-24 when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. CIRs are transition zones between fast- and slow-moving solar wind streams. Solar wind plasma piles up in these regions, producing density gradients and shock waves that do a good job of sparking auroras

CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION: NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept. 23-24 when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. CIRs are transition zones between fast- and slow-moving solar wind streams. Solar wind plasma piles up in these regions, producing density gradients and shock waves that do a good job of sparking auroras. Aurora alerts: text, voice AURORAS LOVE EQUINOXES: The northern autumnal equinox is less than a day away. That's good news for sky watchers because, for reasons researchers do not fully understand, auroras love equinoxes. At this time of year even gentle gusts of solar wind can spark a nice display of Northern Lights: Igor Matveev took the picture on Sept. 19th from Monchegorsk, Russia. There was no geomagnetic storm predicted that night--and no meteor shower. Yet Matveev saw both. "What luck!" he says. "I caught the entire meteor streaking beneath the auroras." No CME was required to spark the auroras. Instead, a relatively minor fluctuation in the magnetism of the solar wind caused the display. Tomorrow's CIR (co-rotating interaction region), explained above, could be even more effective. Stay tuned to therealtime photo gallery for sightings. Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery 21 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-21-14

Solar wind
speed: 437.4 km/sec
density: 1.9 protons/cm³

QUIET WEEKEND: Although the sun is peppered with spots, not one them has the type of complex magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a slight 20% chance of M-class solar flares during what should be a quiet weekend.

AURORAS LOVE EQUINOXES: On Sept. 23th the sun will cross the celestial equator heading south, marking the end of northern summer. That's good news for high-latitude sky watchers because, for reasons researchers do not fully understand, auroras love equinoxes. At this time of year when the seasons are changing, even gentle gusts of solar wind can spark a nice display of Northern Lights:

Harald Albrigtsen took the picture on Sept. 19th from Kvaløya, Norway. There was no geomagnetic storm predicted that night, and indeed no CME struck our planet. Instead a relatively minor fluctuation in the magnetic orientation of the solar wind sparked the display.

NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept 21st, and the probability of Arctic auroras is probably even higher than that. Stay tuned to the realtime photo gallery for sightings. Aurora alerts: text, voice

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery

FIERY SUNSET: Sky watchers in parts of California are finding that, suddenly, they can view sunspots without a solar telescope. Smoke from the epic King Fire is providing a natural filter. David Wheat photographed the fiery sunset from Tuolumne CA:

"Notice the 3 sunspots on the upper left of the solar disk " points out Wheat.

The fire, which began a week ago in a canyon east of Sacramento, has ballooned in size to 80,000 acres, larger than the city of Portland. Dense smoke has grounded planes and choked the air for hundreds of miles around the blaze--including a Sierra peak where the headquarters of Spaceweather.com is located. Because the fire is only 10% contained, fiery sunsets will likely continue for days to come.

Warning: Even when the sun is dimmed by smoke and low-hanging clouds, do not look at the sun through magnifying optics. Severe eye damage could result. If you are photographing the sunset, use your camera's digital viewscreen to frame the scene, not the camera's optical viewfinder.

9-20-14

Solar wind
speed: 535.2 km/sec
density: 1.7 protons/cm³

QUIET WEEKEND: Although the sun is peppered with spots, not one them has the type of complex magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a slight 20% chance of M-class solar flares during what should be a quiet weekend.

14 FIREBALLS

9-19-14

Solar wind
speed: 455.6 km/sec
density: 5.5 protons/cm³

9 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-18-14

Solar wind
speed: 355.5 km/sec
density: 15.1 protons/cm³

LUNAR ECLIPSE: Mark your calendar: On Oct. 8th, the Moon will pass through the shadow of Earth for a total lunar eclipse. Sky watchers in the USA will see the Moon turn a beautiful shade of celestial red and maybe turquoise, too. [full story]

THERE IS WAY MORE TO THE STORY THAN SPACEWEATHER WILL REPORT ABOUT:

HERE IS OUR STORY ABOUT IT:

6 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-17-14

Solar wind
speed: 397.1 km/sec
density: 6.5 protons/cm³

MINOR STORM WARNING: A slow-moving CME propelled toward Earth by an erupting magnetic filament on the sun is expected to arrive today, Sept. 17th. NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of minor geomagnetic storms in response to the sluggish impact. High-latitude sky watchers, be alert for auroras

TUDENTS MEASURE 'FORBUSH DECREASE': On Sept. 12th, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field, igniting the most intense geomagnetic storm of the year. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus quickly launched a helium balloon to the stratosphere to see what effect the storm was having on Earth's upper atmosphere. They expected to measure more radiation than usual. Instead, they measured less. This plot shows a sharp drop in high energy radiation on Sept. 12th compared to previous flights in May, June, and August:

What caused this counterintuitive drop? Answer: When the CME swept past Earth, it swept aside many of the cosmic rays that normally surround our planet. The effect is called a "Forbush Decrease," after American physicist Scott F. Forbush who first described it.

Wherever CMEs go, cosmic rays are deflected by magnetic fields inside the CME. Forbush decreases have been observed on Earth and in Earth orbit onboard Mir and the ISS. The Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft have experienced them, too, beyond the orbit of Neptune. Now high school students have detected a Forbush Decrease in the stratosphere using little more than an insulated lunchbox and a helium balloon.

15 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-16-14

Solar wind
speed: 378.4 km/sec
density: 3.2 protons/cm³

QUIET WITH A CHANCE OF FLARES: Solar activity is low. However, sunspots AR2157, AR2158 and AR2164 have 'beta-gamma' magnetic fields that harbor energy for significant eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of M-class flares on Sept. 16th. 

INCOMING CME: Another CME is en route to Earth. It was launched in our direction four days ago by the eruption of a magnetic filament near the center of the solar disk. This movie from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory shows the Earth-directed CME almost overwhelmed, visually, by a brighter farside CME headed in the opposite direction:

27 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-15-14

Solar wind
speed: 435.6 km/sec
density: 0.8 protons/cm³

INCOMING CME: Another CME is en route to Earth. It was launched in our direction three days ago by the eruption of a magnetic filament near the center of the solar disk. The impact won't be as effective as the double-whammy of Sept. 12th, described below. Nevertheless, NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept. 16th when the CME arrives. High-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras

16 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-14-14Solar wind
speed: 472.6 km/sec
density: 0.4 protons/cm³

DOUBLE CME IMPACT SPARKS GEOMAGNETIC STORM: As predicted, a pair of CMEs hit Earth's magnetic field in quick succession on Sept. 11th and 12th. The result was a G3-class geomagnetic storm, the most intense of the year so far. At the peak of the storm on Sept 12-13, bright auroras ringed the Arctic Circle and spilled down over several northern-tier US states. The sky over Maine exploded in a rainbow of colors:

"I took the picture from Casco, Maine, facing north towards the Presidential Range in New Hampshire," says photographer John Stetson. "Red, purple, green, blue--all the colors were there!"

The storm is subsiding now. Nevertheless, high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras. NOAA forecasters estimate a whopping 90% chance of additional polar geomagetic activity on Sept. 13th as Earth passes through the wake of the double CME. 

253 FIREBALLS REPORTED

A FILM IS BEING SHOWN TONIGHT OF SOMETHING COMING IN FROM THE WEST -THROUGH THREE STATES SO FAR. BECAUSE OF ITS SLOW SPEED, THEY ARE THING IT MIGHT BE SPACE JUNK

9-13-14

Solar wind
speed: 534.0 km/sec
density: 0.5 protons/cm³ 

SPACEWEATHER WAS OFF LINE

9-12-14

SPACEWEATHER WAS OFF LINE

9-11-14

Solar wind
speed: 370.7 km/sec
density: 6.9 protons/cm³

STORM WARNING: A pair of CMEs is heading for Earth. The two solar storm clouds were launched on Sept. 9th and 10th by strong explosions in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2158. NOAA forecasters estimate a nearly 80% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Sept. 12th when the first of the two CMEs arrives. Auroras are in the offing, possibly visible at mid-latitudes before the weekend..

EARTH-DIRECTED X-FLARE AND CME: Sunspot AR2158 erupted on Sept. 10th at 17:46 UT, producing an X1.6-class solar flare. A flash of ultraviolet radiation from the explosion ionized the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere, disturbing HF radio communications for more than an hour. More importantly, the explosion hurled a CME directly toward Earth. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory photographed the expanding cloud:

Radio emissions from shock waves at the leading edge of the CME suggest that the cloud tore through the sun's atmosphere at speeds as high as 3750 km/s. That would make this a very fast moving storm, and likely to reach Earth before the weekend. Auroras are definitely in the offing. Stay tuned for a more detailed forecast in the hours ahead.

RADIO-LOUD EXPLOSION: The X-flare of Sept 10th caused a radio blackout on Earth. Ironically, it also caused a blast of radio noise. Radio astronomers and hams in the Americas and across the Pacific Ocean heard static roaring from the loudspeakers of their shortwave receivers. "It was absolutely howling," reports Thomas Ashcraft, who sends this 3-minute recording from his amateur radio observatory in rural New Mexico:

"This is what I heard at the onset of the flare," he explains. "By the time the flare peaked, it became almost too intense for my ears."

Advice: Listen to the sound file using stereo headphones. The two channels correspond to two radio frequencies--22 and 23 MHz.

Radio emissions like these are caused by shock waves in the sun's atmosphere. Looking at the CME pictured in the news item above, it is easy to imagine how the fast-moving cloud would spawn shock waves in the atmosphere overlying sunspot AR2158. Those shock waves triggered plasma instabilities which, in turn, generated the shortwave radio emissions.

More radio bursts may be in the offing. Sunspots AR2157 and AR2158 have unstable magnetic fields that harboor energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of X-class flares and a whopping 85% chance of M-flares on Sept. 11th. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

19 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-10-14

Solar wind
speed: 387.1 km/sec
density: 3.2 protons/cm³

X-FLARE:  Active sunspot AR2158 erupted on Sept. 10th, producing a strong X1.6-class solar flare.  Because the sunspot is directly facing Earth, this is a geoeffective event.  HF radio blackouts and other communications disturbances have already been observed on the day-lit side of Earth.  Stay tuned to http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates about the possibility of an Earth-directed CME and geomagnetic storms in the days ahead.

METEORITE SKEPTICISM: Reports are circulating of a meteorite strike in Nicaragua on Sunday, Sept. 7th. Because the timing coincides with the flyby of asteroid 2014 RC, some reporters have suggested a link. We are skeptical. The crater outside Managua looks more like it was dug by a backhoe than excavated by a high-energy meteoritic explosion. Also, no streak of light corresponding to a meteor was actually observed

6 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-9-14

Solar wind
speed: 387.1 km/sec
density: 3.2 protons/cm³

This morning (Sept. 9th at 00:30 UT) the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2158 erupted, producing a long-duration solar flare and a bright CME.  The CME, which billowed away from the sun at nearly 1,000 km/s,  has an Earth-directed component.  A glancing blow is possible during the late hours of Sept. 11/early hours of Sept. 12.  High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras when the storm cloud arrives.  Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

AURORA ALERTS are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

METEORITE SKEPTICISM: Reports are circulating of a meteorite strike in Nicaragua on Sunday, Sept. 7th. Because the timing coincides with the flyby of asteroid 2014 RC, some reporters have suggested a link. We are skeptical. The crater outside Managua looks more like it was dug by a backhoe than excavated by a high-energy meteoritic explosion. Also, no streak of light corresponding to a meteor was actually observed. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

HARVEST MOON: The northern autumnal equinox is less than two weeks away. That makes tonight's full Moon the Harvest Moon, the full Moon closest to the beginning of Fall. Ruslan Merzlyakov sends this picture of the pumpkin-colored orb from Nykøbing Mors, Denmark:

"It was a very beautiful moonrise!" he says.

The name "Harvest Moon" harkens back to a bygone era. Before the days of electric lights, farmers relied on moonlight to harvest crops which ripened all at once in autumn. They couldn't afford to stop working at sunset, so "harvest moonlight" was essential to their operations. The flow of electricity has made the Moon obsolete as a source of practical illumination, but not as an object of beauty. Step outside tonight at sunset, look east and enjoy the view.

CHANCE OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters have raised the odds of an X-class solar flare today to 30%. Two sunspots turning toward Earth pose a threat for such eruptions: AR2157 and AR2158. Both are capable of strong geoeffective activity.Solar flare alerts: text, voice

ASTEROID FLIES BY EARTH: On Sunday, Sept. 7th, house-sized asteroid 2014 RC flew past Earth. There was no danger of a collision, but the space rock was close. It sailed just underneath Earth's belt of geeosynchronous satellites and about 40,000 km over New Zealand. Using robotic telescope in Australia, a team of astronomers led by Ernesto Guido photographed 2014 RC zipping through the southern constellation Phoenix at 10 km/s (22,000 mph):

2014 RC came from the asteroid belt just beyond the orbit of Mars. According to NASA, "2014 RC will return to our planet's neighborhood in the future. The asteroid's future motion will be closely monitored, but no future threatening Earth encounters have been identified." [ephemeris] [3D orbit]

^{6 FIREBALLS REPORTED}

9-8-14

Solar wind
speed: 424.4 km/sec
density: 2.8 protons/cm³

MORE ASTEROID NEWS: Now that 2014 RC has passed, another even weirder asteroid is approaching Earth's neighborhood. 2002 CE26 is a binary asteroid consisiting of a primary space rock 3.5 km in diameter and a secondary approximately one-tenth as wide. What's weird is, radar data suggest that the secondary space rock might have a moon of its own. Alberto Quijano Vodniza of the University of Narino Observatory in Colombia photographed the triple system streaking through the constellation Pegasus on Sept. 2nd:

SUPERMOON - SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

9-7-14

Solar wind
speed: 418.9 km/sec
density: 5.1 protons/cm³

WEEKEND ASTEROID FLYBY: This Sunday, a house-sized asteroid named "2014 RC" will fly through the Earth-Moon system almost inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. At closest approach, Sept. 7th at 18:18 UTC, the 20-meter-wide space rock will pass just 40,000 km over New Zealand. This diagram from NASA shows the geometry of the encounter:

There is no danger of a collision with Earth.

Asteroid 2014 RC was discovered on the night of August 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and independently detected the next night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope, located on the summit of Haleakalā on Maui, Hawaii.  Follow-up observations quickly confirmed the orbit of 2014 RC: it comes from just beyond the orbit of Mars.

The close appproach of this space rock offers researchers an opportunity for point-blank studies of a near-Earth asteroid. Even amateur astronomers will be able to track it. Around the time of closest approach, it will brighten to magnitude +11.5 as it zips through the constellation Pisces. This means it will be invisible to the naked eye but a relatively easy target for backyard telescopes equipped with CCD cameras. [ephemeris] [3D orbit]

According to NASA, "[the orbit of 2014 RC] will bring it back to our planet's neighborhood in the future.  The asteroid's future motion will be closely monitored, but no future threatening Earth encounters have been identified."

38 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-6-14

Solar wind
speed: 416.5 km/sec
density: 7.9 protons/cm³

VOLCANIC MOONSET + AURORAS: A few days ago, pilot Brian Whittaker was flying over Iceland when he saw a strange plume poking through the cloudtops. "It was the active fissure eruption of Holuhraun associated with the nearby Bardarbunga Volcano," he explains. "Air traffic control reported it actively erupting to the north of the giant Vatnajokull Glacier and Grimsvotn Volcano which closed European airspace back in 2011."

Last night Whittaker flew over the area again, in the dark, and this time he witnessed a very different scene:

.

"About 500 miles southwest of Iceland I recognized a much redder then usual Moon set, especially with its reflection upon the ocean below," he says. "I strongly suspect that it was caused by the recent releases of volcanic dust and aerosols from Iceland."

Whittaker also saw a band of green auroras slashing across the sky, a possible preview of the weekend ahead. A CME is expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 6th, sparking Arctic auroras visible through the dust.

MORE ASTEROID NEWS: While 2014 RC grabs headlines this weekend by flying under Earth's belt of geosynchronous satellites (see the news item below), astronomers are training their telescopes on another, weirder asteroid also in Earth's neighborhood. 2002 CE26 is a binary asteroid consisiting of a primary space rock 3.5 km in diameter and a secondary approximately one-tenth as wide. What's weird is, radar data suggest that the secondary space rock might have a moon of its own. Alberto Quijano Vodniza of the University of Narino Observatory in Colombia photographed the triple system streaking through the constellation Pegasus on Sept. 2nd:

At closest approach on Sept. 9th, 2002 CE26 will be 18.4 million km (0.123 AU) from Earth. That is relatively far away, but because of the asteroid's large size, it is still possible to obtain meaningful data from the flyby. NASA astronomers will be pinging the system using the Goldstone radar in the Mojave desert. The Goldstone team says "we should be able to get coarse-resolution images of the primary. Echoes from the secondary will be weak and on the edge of detectability."

They also encourage experienced amateur astronomers to monitor the flyby: "This object should reach 14th magnitude while at favorable solar elongations, so it should be an excellent target for lightcurves.  Lightcurves might detect the signature of at least one satellite and could help refine the orbital period." [3D orbit] [ephemeris]

^{68 FIREBALLS REPORTED}

9-5-14

Solar wind
speed: 340.0 km/sec
density: 4.6 protons/cm³

MYSTERY IN THE OZONE LAYER: Almost 30 years after the Montreal Protocol put the brakes on ozone-depleting chemicals, one compound remains stubbornly and mysteriously abundant in the atmosphere. NASA scientists are tracking down the source and studying its effect on the ozone layer. [video]

18 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-4-14

Solar wind
speed: 418.9 km/sec
density: 5.1 protons/cm³

INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES: A phalanx of relatively large sunspots is rotating into view over the sun's eastern limb today: image. One of them unleashed a significant flare and radiation storm on Sept. 1st while it was still on the sun's farside. A similar explosion in the days ahead could be Earth-directed. Stay tuned for increasing solar activity. Solar flare alerts: text, voice

38 FIREBALLS REPORTED

9-3-14

Solar wind
speed: 442.7 km/sec
density: 2.3 protons/cm³

FILAMENT ERUPTION, EARTH-DIRECTED: Yesterday, Sept. 2nd, an enormous filament of dark plasma, which had been snaking across the face of the sun for days, became unstable and erupted. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the event (movies: #1, #2). A CME emerging from the blast site appears to have an Earth-directed component:

According to NOAA analysts, the CME could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 6th. This is not a particularly fast or powerful CME. Nevertheless, the coming impact could spark auroras. The last two minor CMEs that struck Earth in late August triggered beautiful displays of Northern and Southern Lights. The reason: it's aurora season. High-latitude sky watchers should prepare for Sept. 6th.   http://www.spaceweather.com/images2014/03sep14/cme_anim.gif?PHPSESSID=86pso4o9lfdq1c2tp11s22lvf5

On Sep. 3, 2014, the network reported 305 fireballs.
(300 sporadics, 3 , 1 alpha Aurigid, 1 Southern delta Aquariid)

In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]

9-2-14

Solar wind
speed: 416.0 km/sec
density: 4.2 protons/cm³

FILAMENT ERUPTION, POSSIBLY EARTH-DIRECTED: For days, amateur astronomers around the world have been monitoring an enormous filament of dark plasma snaking across the face of the sun. Today it erupted. A movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory seems to show debris from the blast hurtling in the general direction of Earth. Stay tuned for coronagraph data, which could confirm or refute an Earth-directed CME.

SIGNIFICANT FARSIDE FLARE: A sunspot located just behind the sun's northeastern limb exploded yesterday, Sept. 1st @ 1105 UT, producing "a significant solar flare," according to NOAA analysts. NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft, stationed over the farside of the sun, recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash.:

A fast CME emerged from the blast site traveling approximately 2000 km/s (4.5 million mph): movie. The flare also produced strong radio bursts and a farside solar proton storm. Only the intervening limb of the sun prevented potentially-strong Earth effects.

When flares occur on the Earthside of the sun, we classify them according to their X-ray intensity: C (weak), M (medium), or X (strong). Farside explosions, however, cannot be precisely classified because none of the spacecraft stationed over the farside of the sun are equipped with X-ray sensors. The appearance of the flare at UV wavelengths, plus other factors such as the CME and radiation storm, suggests that this was an X-class event.

Soon, the source of the explosion will reveal itself as solar rotation carries it up and over the sun's NE limb. Earth-directed solar activity could be just a few days away.Solar flare alerts: text, voice

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery

^{46 FIREBALLS REPORTED}

9-1-14

Solar wind
speed: 404.4 km/sec
density: 4.0 protons/cm³

SOMETHING IN THE OFFING: On Sept. 1st a very powerful eruption occured just beyond the sun's northeastern limb and then, today, Earth-orbiting satellites detected an M2-class flare (movie) from a sunspot emerging over the southeastern limb. It appears that at least two active regions will be turning toward Earth in the days ahead. Stay tuned for increasing solar activity.

NOCTILUCENT CLOUD SEASON ENDS: Data from NASA's AIM spacecraft suggest that the northern summer season for noctilucent clouds (NLCs) has ended. "We'll have to wait for the definitive processing to determine for certain the last day of the northern 2014 season, but I think it was probably 26 August," says AIM science team member Cora Randall of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, CO

NLCs are Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by "meteor smoke," they form at the edge of space 83 km above Earth's surface. When sunlight hits the tiny ice crystals that make up these clouds, they glow electric blue.

NLCs appear during summer because that is when water molecules are wafted up from the lower atmosphere to mix with the meteor smoke. That is also, ironically, when the upper atmosphere is coldest, allowing the ice crystals of NLCs to form. Because they are a summertime phenomenon, NLCs switch back and forth between the hemispheres--northern in May through August, southern in November through February.

The "noctilucent daisy" shown on Spaceweather.com will probably remain blank until November when NLC activity normally shifts to the southern hemisphere.  Stay tuned for more electric blue ... in a few months.

Realtime NLC Photo Gallery

RED SPRITES AND GREEN GRAVITY WAVES: As northern summer comes to a close, electrical storms are rumbling across the USA. After nightfall, red sprites can be seen dancing across the cloudtops. On Aug. 20th, Tom A. Warner photographed these specimens above New Underwood, South Dakota:

"On the night of Aug 20th, intense storms developed in north central South Dakota," says Warner. "Skies cleared out to the west and offered a chance to capture some sprites from the northern activity."

He saw not only sprites, but also green-glowing gravity waves. The waves are, literally, the ripple effect of a powerful thunderstorm on the mesosphere some 80 km above Earth's surface. From space, these waves look like a giant atmospheric bull's eye. From the ground, they appear to be green ripples in the sky, as shown inWarner's images.

Left to themselves, gravity waves would be invisible to the human eye. We see them, however, because they are colored green by an aurora-like phenomenon called "airglow." Airglow is caused by an assortment of chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere driven mainly by solar ultraviolet radiation. Gravity waves rippling away from the central axis of a thunderstorm cause temperature and density perturbations in the upper atmosphere. Speaking simplistically, those perturbations alter the chemical reaction rates of airglow, leading to more-bright or less-bright bands depending on whether the rates are boosted or diminished, respectively.

Inhabiting the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere alongside meteors, noctilucent clouds and some auroras, sprites and mesospheric gravity waves are true space weather phenomena. Now is a good time to see them.

Realtime Sprite Photo Gallery

8 FIREBALLS  REPORTED