quote:

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G1): Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Feb. 9th when a CME is expected to pass close to Earth. The storm would require not just a near miss, but an actual glancing blow. The asymmetric shape of the CME suggests either outcome is possible, making this a coin-flip forecast.

quote:

A sunspot big enough to see from Mars is now turning to face Earth. NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars first noticed the sprawling sunspot group last week, photographing it using the rover's MASTCAM. It was a behemoth then, and it has only grown bigger since...

From end to end, the sunspot group stretches more than 150,000 km with at least 4 dark cores larger than Earth...

AR3576 is big, yes, but of even greater interest is the sunspot's magnetic complexity. This magnetic map from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a mixture of polarities in the sunspot's core...

Opposite polarities bumping together can cause explosive magnetic reconnection. Indeed, NOAA forecasters say this sunspot poses a threat for strong X-class solar flares--and Earth is directly in the line of fire.

quote:

Originally posted by MAXIMUS PANDAMONIUS:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by MAXIMUS PANDAMONIUS:
This was a rocker just now kids!
1:47 pm PCT
Gotta be a 5 plus!

Los Angeles!

quote:

THE FIRST CME HAS ARRIVED: The first of potentially several incoming CMEs hit Earth today at 0230 UT. The initial impact was so weak it was almost undetectable. Nevertheless, geomagnetic unrest is building as Earth moves deeper into the CME's wake. Another, stronger impact will be necessary to push Earth's magnetic field into a state of full-fledged storming. NOAA forecast models suggest that could happen later today. CME Impact alerts: SMS Text

YESTERDAY'S EXPLOSIONS--ALL OF THEM: Yesterday, Feb. 12th, the sun produced 9 solar flares (one was almost an X-flare) and multiple filament eruptions. Senol Sanli of Bursa, Turkey, combined all of them into a single 24-hour image:



"This is every explosion on Feb. 12th as recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory," he explains. "I made this composite view using the observatory's 304 Å images, which show plasma at a temperature of 50,000 K."

The circled explosion, with the intense central bright spot, is the source of an ongoing S1-class radiation storm. As Solar Max approaches, days like this will become more common. Stay tuned.

quote:

AN X-FLARE FROM 'THE DANGER ZONE': Sunspot AR3576 erupted today (0653 UT) producing a brief but intense X2.5-class solar flare.

quote:

As these images show, AR3576 is near the sun's western limb, no longer facing Earth. You might think that means our planet is safely outside the line of fire. In fact, the opposite is true. AR3576 is entering a 'danger zone' where the sun and Earth are magnetically connected.

The magnetic connection between Earth and AR3576 allowed this pulse to reach us despite the fact that the sunspot is not facing our planet. Notably, the pulse was relatively rich in "hard protons" with energies > 50 MeV, which are effective at upsetting satellite electronics.

Another X-flare from AR3576 this weekend could trigger a full-fledged radiation storm. Possible effects include high-latitude radio blackouts, fogged cameras on Earth-orbiting satellites, and elevated levels of radiation on commercial air flights.

Sunspots located near the sun's western limb are magnetically connected to Earth. The sun's magnetic field spirals around like a lawn sprinker--a shape known as the "Parker spiral."

AR3576 is now in the "danger zone." If there is a big eruption this weekend, debris may be funneled back to Earth by the Parker spiral. The resulting radiation storm could pepper satellites with high-energy protons, fogging cameras and causing reboots of onboard electronics.