A FLURRY OF CMEs WILL MISS EARTH: Over the weekend, the sun unleashed a flurry of CMEs. Remarkably, none of the storm clouds will hit Earth. They're all outside the strike zone. Geomagnetic activity is expected to be low for the next 3 days.

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/13feb22/cme_anim.gif

Solar wind
speed: 403.9 km/sec
density: 5.8 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 0805 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C4 0518 UT Feb15
24-hr: M1 1731 UT Feb14
Updated: Today at: 0810 UT

Daily Sun: 15 Feb 22


Sunspot AR2941 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI

Current Auroral Oval:


Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 2 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 2 quiet

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 4.3 nT
Bz: 0.2 nT north
Updated: Today at 0805 UT

Coronal Holes: 15 Feb 22



Solar wind flowiing from this coronal hole could reach Earth on Feb. 21st. Credit: SDO/AIA

M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Sunspot AR2941 erupted on Feb. 14th (1731 UT), producing an M1-class solar flare. A brief shortwave radio blackout followed the explosion after X-rays ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere.

Ham radio operators and aviators in the Americas may have noticed unusual propagation effects at frequencies below 20 MHz.

https://sdowww.lmsal.com/sdomedia/ssw/media/ssw/ssw_client/data/ssw_service_220214_095624_48110/www/20220214_170741_20220214_202220.gif

Solar wind
speed: 379.9 km/sec
density: 4.3 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0645 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B6 0201 UT Feb16
24-hr: M1 1815 UT Feb15
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0650 UT

HUGE FARSIDE EXPLOSION: Something just exploded on the farside of the sun--and it was big. NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft recorded a magnificent coronal mass ejection (CME) emerging during the late hours of Feb. 15th:

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/15feb22/farsideexplosion_strip_opt.gif

This CME will not hit Earth; it is moving away from, not toward our planet. However, if such a CME did strike, it could produce a very strong geomagnetic storm. We may have dodged a bullet.

STEREO-A also observed a plume of plasma emerging from the blast site. It was more than 400,000 km long.

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/15feb22/20220215_221545_n7euA_304.jpg

GEOMAGNETIC FORECAST: Earth's magnetic field is quiet and should remain so for the next 48 hours. No CMEs or streams of solar wind are heading for our planet. NOAA forecasters say the chance of geomagnetic storms is less than 5%.

Solar wind
speed: 381.1 km/sec
density: 3.8 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 1046 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C2 0602 UT Feb17
24-hr: C2 0602 UT Feb17
Updated: Today at: 1050 UT

Daily Sun: 17 Feb 22


New sunspot AR2948 has a 'bet-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Credit: SDO/HMI

Current Auroral Oval:

Planetary K-index
Now: Kp= 1 quiet
24-hr max: Kp= 3 quiet

Interplanetary Mag. Field
Btotal: 3.3 nT
Bz: 0.8 nT north
Updated: Today at 1045 UT

Coronal Holes: 17 Feb 22



Solar wind flowing from this southern coronal hole could reach Earth on Feb. 20th following close on the heels of an associated co-rotating interaction region (CIR). Credit: SDO/AIA

AN EXPLOSION ON THE FARSIDE OF THE SUN (UPDATED AGAIN): New images from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) are giving us a better look at yesterday's farside explosion. SOHO coronagraphs recorded the most dramatic CME in years:

https://www.spaceweather.com/images2022/16feb22/farsidecme_anim_opt.gif

No, there won't be a geomagnetic storm. The explosion happened on the farside of the sun, so the CME is heading away from Earth. We dodged a bullet.

Solar wind
speed: 330.2 km/sec
density: 13.7 protons/cm3
Updated: Today at 1549 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B3 1219 UT Feb18
24-hr: C1 2051 UT Feb17
Updated: Today at: 1555 UT