Thirty-five new items have just been added to our Meteorite Jewelry collection. Browse the Space Weather Store for something out of this world. |
|
|
SOLAR VARIABILITY
AND TERRESTRIAL CLIMATE: A new report
issued by the National Research Council, "The
Effects of Solar Variability on Earth's Climate,"
lays out some of the surprisingly complex ways that
solar activity can make itself felt on our planet.
Get the full
story from Science@NASA.
BIG SUNSPOT:
A very large sunspot is emerging over the sun's
eastern limb. Numbered AR1654, it consists of two
dark cores each 4 or more times wider than Earth.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory took this picture
during the early hours of Jan. 9th:
So far the sunspot is relatively quiet,
producing only a smattering of low-level C-class
solar flares. We will know more about AR1654's flare-producing
potential in the days ahead as the sunspot turns
toward Earth. A direct view will reveal what kind
of magnetic field the sunspot posseses, which is
a key requirement for flare forecasting. For now,
NOAA forecasters are estimating a 35% chance of
M-class
flares and a 5% chance of X-flares
during the next 24 hours. Solar
flare alerts: text,
voice.
Realtime
Space Weather Photo Gallery
AURORA WATCH:
Mild but effective gusts of solar wind are buffeting
Earth's magnetic field, sparking auroras around
the Arctic Circle. Last night in Abisko National
Park, Sweden, aurora tour
guide Chad Blakley received a grand display
for his clients:
"Tonight was the first night
of our January Aurora Photo Expedition and I am
happy to report that all eight of our guests were
able to see and photograph a very nice aurora display
in the skies above Abisko National park," says
Blakeley. "The lights started around 7:00 PM
and continued to dance in the sky until we were
all too tired to carry on. We are hopeful that the
next few days will continue to impress!"
He could get his wish. A minor stream
of solar wind flowing from a hole in the sun's corona
is due to hit Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 9-10,
producing a display to keep the tour guides busy.
Aurora alerts:
text,
voice.
Realtime
Aurora Photo Gallery
Realtime
Meteor 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
January 10, 2013 there were 1366
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.
|
The
official U.S. government space weather bureau |
|
The
first place to look for information about sundogs,
pillars, rainbows and related phenomena. |
|
Researchers
call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO
is the most advanced solar observatory ever. |
|
3D
views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial
Relations Observatory |
|
Realtime
and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. |
|
from
the NOAA Space Environment Center |
|
the
underlying science of space weather |