• M6.3 solar flare, geomagnetic storm still in progress

    Sunspot 1429  just produced a strong M6.3 Solar Flare. AR 1429 is now located in the center of the visible solar disk so this solar flare and its CME is heading straight toward Earth. The Bz Component of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) is pointing south and

  • February auroras and blue flashes

    A CME impact followed by a gusty solar wind stream have combined to produce bright lights around the Arctic Circle on Feb. 26-29.  Arctic sky watchers should be on alert for more auroras tonight. The green flash, the fleeting emerald light that sometimes appears

  • “Canyon of Fire” on Sun

    The eruption of a magnetic filament at the sun’s northeastern limb split the sun’s atmosphere during the early hours of February 24th, creating a “canyon of fire”. The glowing walls of the canyon are formed in a process closely related to that of arcade loops, which

  • Partial solar eclipse seen from space

    The new Moon passed briefly in front of the sun, positioning itself between SDO spacecraft and Sun, producing a partial solar eclipse on February 21 at 14:11 UTC (about 9:11 a.m. EST). No ground observers could spot it, it was visible only from space.  It was a fairly

  • Auroras seen around parts of the Arctic Circle

    Earth passed through a minor solar wind stream on Feb. 4-5. The weak impact of the solar wind was just enough to spark auroras around parts of the Arctic Circle. The effects of the solar wind are subsiding, and the auroras might disappear into the moonlight for the

  • Sunspot 1402 still active – Farside eruption

    Sunspot AR1402, the source of last week’s X-flare and many beautiful auroras, is on the farside of the sun now. Although we can’t see it, the active region is still erupting. Bellow is the video showing coronal mass ejection flying over the sun’s western limb. Click

  • S2 radiation storm generated by X1.7 solar flare in progress

    Sunspot 1402 located on the northwest limb, produced a major X1.7 Solar Flare at 18:37 UTC Friday afternoon. Solar activity is now expected to be very low as 1402 rotated onto the western limb and is now out of direct Earth view. All remaining current visible regions

  • X1.7 solar flare – the 7th largest in Solar Cycle 24

    Earth-orbiting satellites detected a powerful X1.7 solar flare today, January 27, at 18:37 UTC. The source was departing sunspot 1402 which rotate onto the far side of the sun, so the blast site was not Earth directed. Goddard Space Weather Lab’s analysists say the