Ben Davidson: The Variable Sun and Its Effects on Earth – EU2014

Ben Davidson: The Variable Sun and Its Effects on Earth – EU2014

The message has been loud and clear for many years—a community of scientists insisting that human activity is warming our planet, taking humanity to the edge of a precipice. But now, as science begins to understand earth's place in the electric solar system, t

Ups and downs in the daily minimum solar irradiance

Ups and downs in the daily minimum solar irradiance

With quite regular intervals of about 27 days which Sun takes to make full rotation circle, the Sun alternates between an active hemisphere with relatively many sunspots , and a hemispheric “face” that is pretty much void of these dark blemishes. For as long as it

Earth-directed coronal mass ejection expected

Earth-directed coronal mass ejection expected

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading toward Earth and it could deliver a glancing blow to our planet’s magnetic field on Sept. 22th around 23:00 UT. There are no large coronal holes on the Earth-facing side of the sun. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for

Geomagnetic storm in progress

Geomagnetic storm in progress

UPDATE: The Geomagnetic Storm has subsided over the past few hours. However, the solar wind remains energized and occasional pulses of activity are expected for another 24 hours. Region 1283, the responsible party back at the Sun, decayed today. The Geomagnetic Storm

Several sunspots have popped up around the visible solar disk

Several sunspots have popped up around the visible solar disk

Sunspots are emerging at several locations around the solar disk, peppering the Earth-side of the sun with active regions. Of particular interest is fast-growing sunspot 1282, shown here in an August 31st snapshot from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory:AR1282 has

Sunspots 1271 and 1272 are growing again

Sunspots 1271 and 1272 are growing again

After a weekend of quiet decay, sunspots 1271 and 1272 are growing again. Click on the image to view 24 hours of development:The increase in size has not yet translated into a significant increase in flares. Solar activity remains low, although this could change if

Farside CME activity continues

Farside CME activity continues

Solar Activity continues at fairly low levels with only C-Class activity taking place in the past 24 hours. Sunspot 1271 is the largest visible area and it may pose a small threat for an M-Class event.Farside CME activity continues and you can view all of the action

Sun activity is getting back

Sun activity is getting back

After a few days of quiet, the sun is coming alive again. Amateur astronomers around the world report a beautiful complex of prominences dancing along the eastern limb, one of them big enough to swallow Earth:The blue dot is merely a digital image of Earth inserted

Another M-class solar flare

Another M-class solar flare

A second M-Class flare, this time a M2.5 took place at 03:54 UTC Tuesday morning around Sunspot 1263. This is in addition to the earlier M3.5 flare which we reported yesterday. The first flare produced a small, but fast moving (2010 km/s) Coronal Mass Ejection…