Daily Sun: 29 Sep 22

Solar wind
speed: 490.3 km/sec
density: 9.49 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 0651 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C5 0530 UT Sep29
24-hr: C5 0530 UT Sep29
Updated: Today at: 0655 UT

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G2 CLASS): NOAA forecasters say that G2-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Oct. 1st in response to a double blow: (1) A solar wind stream is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field; it is flowing from an equatorial hole in the sun's atmosphere. (2) A CME will pass very close to Earth, potentially grazing our planet; it left the sun on Sept. 28th. This is what happened during the last G2-storm.

Daily Sun: 30 Sep 22

Solar wind
speed: 548.9 km/sec
density: 9.39 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 0626 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M1 0401 UT Sep30
24-hr: M1 0401 UT Sep30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0630 UT

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 4 unsettled
24-hr max: Kp= 4 unsettled
explanation | more data

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 11.05 nT
Bz: -6.23 nT south

SOMETHING FLARE-Y THIS WAY COMES: A large and active sunspot group is about to rotate over the sun's northeastern limb. We can see it coming from the turmoil visible above the horizon:

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/30sep22/limbactivity_strip.gif
It has already produced an M1-class solar flare (Sept. 30th at 0400 UT) partially eclipsed by the edge of the sun. The unobstructed flare was probably much stronger.

Helioseismologists have been tracking this sunspot group for more than a week. It is altering the way the whole sun vibrates, creating a dark echo in acoustic maps of the farside of the sun. Soon we will see it with our own eyes. The first dark cores should emerge this weekend.

MINOR CME IMPACT: A minor (almost imperceptible) CME swept past NOAA's DSCOVR spacecraft on Sept. 30th at 0430 UT, striking Earth 49 minutes later. No geomagnetic storms are expected as a result of the weak impact.

Solar wind
speed: 394.6 km/sec
density: 0.24 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1057 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C6 0502 UT Oct01
24-hr: M2 1622 UT Sep30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1100 UT

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 0 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3 quiet
explanation | more data

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 6.53 nT
Bz: 0.60 nT north
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1057 UT

🚨BIG SUNSPOT ALERT: One of the biggest sunspots in years is emerging over the sun's northeastern limb. AR3112 has more than a dozen dark cores scattered across 130,000 km of solar terrain, making it an easy target for backyard telescopes using the projection method. Magnetograms of the sunspot group reveal a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for X-class solar flares https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/02oct22/newspot_crop_strip_opt.gif

HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY: The sun just strobed Earth with a pair of strong M-class solar flares. In quick succession on Oct. 1st and 2nd, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded flashes of extreme ultraviolet radiation: https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/02oct22/doublem_teal_crop_strip.gif

Radiation from the flares ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, causing shortwave radio blackouts over the Pacific side of North America and later Australasia. Ham radio operators, aviators and mariners may have noticed fadeouts and other unusual propagation effects at frequencies below 20 MHz.

These flares registered M5.9 and M8.7, the second explosion only decimal points away from being an X-flare. If this progression continues, an X-flare could occur before the weekend is over.

Solar wind
speed: 437.0 km/sec
density: 1.01 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 1112 UT

X-ray Solar Flares 🔥
6-hr max: C4 0621 UT Oct02
24-hr: M8 0221 UT Oct02
Updated: Today at: 1115 UT

Happy Sunday 🌞

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