X-flare yesterday, aurora alert this weekend

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Brian Ottum (astrotopicsdaily on Instagram) told EarthSky: “I’ve been looking at the sun for 46 years and have never seen anything like these brilliant white snakes on the surface of the sun! It’s an X-class solar flare, a major event that could possibly cause planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. To my eye, it looked like the surface cracked open to reveal the blindingly white hot interior. We should expect some northern lights, so pay attention.” An aurora alert has been issued for this weekend.

Aurora alert!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a 48-hour magnetic storm watch. By U.S. clocks, the watch began late in the day on October 28, 2021, following an X-flare from a solar active region (AR2887) that took place at 1535 UTC. The blast created a massive wave of plasma that rippled across the sun’s disk. SpaceWeather.com now says a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm is possible on October 30 (that might be the morning of October 30). That’s when the CME from yesterday’s X1-flare is expected to begin striking Earth’s magnetic field. SpaceWeather said:

Such storms can spark auroras visible to the unaided eye as far south as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50° geomagnetic latitude) and photographic auroras at even lower latitudes. Lesser G1 and G2-class storms could persist through Halloween as Earth passes through the CME’s wake.

So start watching at nightfall Friday evening, October 29, and watch throughout the night and through the weekend!

Solar Cycle 25 is heating up!

Check SpaceWeather.com for the latest on the incoming CME and auroras

A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched into space on October 28, 2021 by exploding sunspot AR2887 is heading almost directly for Earth. SOHO coronagraphs recorded the CME racing away from the sun faster than 1260 km/s (2.8 million mph). Image and caption via SpaceWeather.com.

Bottom line: Aurora alert. Possible good displays of the aurora borealis beginning the evening of October 29, 2021 and lasting through the weekend.

The post X-flare yesterday, aurora alert this weekend first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3nLBTGq

View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Brian Ottum (astrotopicsdaily on Instagram) told EarthSky: “I’ve been looking at the sun for 46 years and have never seen anything like these brilliant white snakes on the surface of the sun! It’s an X-class solar flare, a major event that could possibly cause planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. To my eye, it looked like the surface cracked open to reveal the blindingly white hot interior. We should expect some northern lights, so pay attention.” An aurora alert has been issued for this weekend.

Aurora alert!

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a 48-hour magnetic storm watch. By U.S. clocks, the watch began late in the day on October 28, 2021, following an X-flare from a solar active region (AR2887) that took place at 1535 UTC. The blast created a massive wave of plasma that rippled across the sun’s disk. SpaceWeather.com now says a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm is possible on October 30 (that might be the morning of October 30). That’s when the CME from yesterday’s X1-flare is expected to begin striking Earth’s magnetic field. SpaceWeather said:

Such storms can spark auroras visible to the unaided eye as far south as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50° geomagnetic latitude) and photographic auroras at even lower latitudes. Lesser G1 and G2-class storms could persist through Halloween as Earth passes through the CME’s wake.

So start watching at nightfall Friday evening, October 29, and watch throughout the night and through the weekend!

Solar Cycle 25 is heating up!

Check SpaceWeather.com for the latest on the incoming CME and auroras

A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched into space on October 28, 2021 by exploding sunspot AR2887 is heading almost directly for Earth. SOHO coronagraphs recorded the CME racing away from the sun faster than 1260 km/s (2.8 million mph). Image and caption via SpaceWeather.com.

Bottom line: Aurora alert. Possible good displays of the aurora borealis beginning the evening of October 29, 2021 and lasting through the weekend.

The post X-flare yesterday, aurora alert this weekend first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/3nLBTGq