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CHANCE
OF FLARES: NOAA forecasters estimate
a 75% chance of M-class
solar flares and a 20% chance of X-flares
during the next 24 hours. The most likely source
is active sunspot AR1598. Solar
flare alerts: text,
voice.
X-FLARE:
Sunspot AR1598 erupted on Oct.
23rd at 0322 UT, producing a strong X1-class
solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded
the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Radiation from the flare created waves
of ionization in the upper atmosphere over Asia
and Australia (the daylit side of Earth) and possibly
HF radio blackouts at high latitudes. The blast
did not, however, produce a significant coronal
mass ejection (CME). No auroras are expected to
result from this event.
This is the 4th significant flare
from AR1598 since it emerged over the southeastern
limb only three days ago. This means more flares
are probably in the offing, and they will become
increasingly Earth-directed as the sunspot turns
toward our planet in the days ahead. Stay tuned
for updates. Solar
flare alerts: text,
voice.
Realtime
Space Weather Photo Gallery
ORIONID
METEOR UPDATE: Most observers would
say that the 2012 Orionid
meteor shower was underwhelming. Even during
the peak on Oct 21st meteor rates never climbed
much above 20 per hour. Sometimes, however, one
is enough:
"This was a very bright Orionid
fireball," says photographer Maciek Myszkiewicz.
"It was brighter than the full Moon."
Orionid meteors are pieces of Halley's
Comet, which has left behind a stream of dusty debris
in the inner solar system. Earth hits the stream
twice a year producing a pair of meteor showers,
the eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in October.
According to international meteor
counts, Earth is still in the outskirts of the
Orionid portion of the stream. Enthusiasts should
therefore remain alert for pieces of Halley's Comet
in the pre-dawn sky until further notice. [gallery]
[video]
[meteor radar]
Realtime
Meteor Photo Gallery
Realtime
Aurora Photo Gallery
Realtime
Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
[previous years: 2003,
2004,
2005,
2006,
2007,
2008,
2009,
2011]
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (
PHAs)
are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that
can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the
known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet,
although astronomers are finding
new
ones all the time.
On
October 24, 2012 there were 1340
potentially hazardous asteroids.
Notes: LD means
"Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance
between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256
AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on
the date of closest approach.
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The
official U.S. government space weather bureau |
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The
first place to look for information about sundogs,
pillars, rainbows and related phenomena. |
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Researchers
call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO
is the most advanced solar observatory ever. |
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3D
views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial
Relations Observatory |
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Realtime
and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. |
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from
the NOAA Space Environment Center |
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the
underlying science of space weather |
