Space Weather
Do you understand space weather? There are many myths and a lot of hyperbole out there which confuses peoples' conceptions and expectations.
I've just published a brief space weather course giving the facts in a concise and informative way. It should help you to understand the terms used and the processes involved in the creation of space weather.
Space Weather
The M4.4 flare last night at 23h52 UT 18 Apr produced an impressive CME that went sharply southwards!
Space Weather
Solar flare alert: An M4.4 flare peaked at 23h52 UT 18 Apr. A type II radio emission was observed.
This was the first significant flare in five days, and it originated from a new active region emerging on the east limb.
Space Weather Message Code: ALTK08
Serial Number: 50
Issue Time: 2025 Apr 16 2054 UTC
ALERT: Geomagnetic K-index of 8, 9-
Threshold Reached: 2025 Apr 16 2055 UTC
Synoptic Period: 1800-2100 UTC
Active Warning: Yes
NOAA Scale: G4 - Severe
NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
- Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 45 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
- Induced Currents - Possible widespread voltage control problems and some protective systems may mistakenly trip out key assets from the power grid. Induced pipeline currents intensify.
- Spacecraft - Systems may experience surface charging; increased drag on low earth orbit satellites, and tracking and orientation problems may occur.
- Navigation - Satellite navigation (GPS) degraded or inoperable for hours.
- Radio - HF (high frequency) radio propagation sporadic or blacked out.
- Aurora - Aurora may be seen as low as Alabama and northern California. #spaceweather
https://www.spaceweather.gov/
Space Weather
For those people unfortunately under cloud, aurora is visible on various cameras in Finland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oL16fQjV0U
Space Weather
Aurora is currently visible through clouds on a cameras in Finland.
The Northern Lights came out to dance tonight through the wispy clouds after sunset in the twilight, captured from Edmonds, WA
https://ez-lorenz.pixels.com/featured/northern-lights-in-twilight-edmonds-wa-ez-lorenz.html
Space Weather
Aurora alert! Mid-latitude aurora visible down to Northern England. These images are from Finland.
Space Weather
Aurora alert: Aurora is currently visible on cameras in Scandinavia and the UK!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYvAZzAi5FM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSGpRT-xIkQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsJBqHwnK9w
This week there's a good chance to see Aurora Borealis every where in Finland, not just in Lapland!
Space Weather
The latest space weather forecast from Dr Tamitha Skov, including the lowdown on the (quite large) coronal hole that is currently facing Earth.
Space Weather
A large coronal hole is facing Earth, sending a fast stream of solar wind towards us.
But DON'T PANIC! It should be mostly harmless.
The magnetic polarity of the wind from this hole matches Earth's, so at most is likely just to cause a little "buffeting" to our magnetosphere, rather than produce huge spectacular auroral lights down to the equator or knock out electricity grids.
Space Weather
Aurora is currently visible on a cameras in Finland. Amateur radio operators in the region are bouncing radio signals from it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3LKHE181Wg
Space Weather
The BGS (British Geological Survey) has issued a rare geomagnetic storm forecast covering the period until midnight UT 23 March. Note that this forecast does not account for the increased activity we saw this afternoon at mid-latitudes, which could have been the storm arriving very early!
BGS: Yesterday afternoon a faint but fast Earth-directed CME was observed. The source was a filament eruption from a central location on the solar disk, associated with a M1 solar flare from a nearby active region.
BGS: Models suggest this may arrive in the first forecast interval (late 22, or early 23). The combination of CME impacts and a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole may result in STORM activity.
BGS: As we are near the equinox, when the Earth is more susceptible to solar activity, it is possible geomagnetic activity could reach STORM G3.
https://geomag.bgs.ac.uk/data_service/space_weather/3dforecast.html
"G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for 23 Mar" by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center - The Sun erupted a coronal mass ejection (CME) expected to reach Earth on March 23 UTC at G3 storm level. That means forecasted Kp=7 for aurora down to Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts. https://www.spaceweather.gov/news/g3-strong-geomagnetic-storm-watch-23-mar #astronomy #aurora #AuroraBorealis #AuroraAustralis #CME #SpaceWeather
"Photographer’s Once-in-a-Lifetime Shots of the Lunar Eclipse and Aurora" by @PetaPixel - A photographer from Nevada took a chance on the possibility to capture the total #LunarEclipse with #AuroraBorealis. Eclipses always happen on schedule. But #weather may not cooperate. Especially unlikely for #spaceweather. But it worked. https://petapixel.com/2025/03/17/photographers-once-in-a-lifetime-shots-of-the-lunar-eclipse-and-aurora/ #Moon
#aurora #astronomy #photography #space
