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23 May ' 02:53
When is the best time to see auroras? Where is the best place to go? And how do you photograph them? These questions and more are answered in a new book, Northern Lights - a Guide, by Pal Brekke & Fredrik Broms.
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22 May ' 20:07
When is the best time to see auroras? Where is the best place to go? And how do you photograph them? These questions and more are answered in a new book, Northern Lights - a Guide, by Pal Brekke & Fredrik Broms.
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22 May ' 13:07
425.0 2.5 Updated: Today at 1957 UT M5 1332 UT May22 M5 1332 UT Updated: Today at: 2000 UT3 6.5 Updated: Today at 1957 UTWhen is the best time to see auroras? Where is the best place to go? And how do you photograph them? These questions and more are answered in a new book, Northern Lights - a Guide, by Pal Brekke & Fredrik Broms.
CME AND RADIATION STORM: A solar radiation storm is in progress on May 22nd following an M5-class explosion on the sun's western limb. The source of the flare, which peaked at 1332 UT, was departing sunspot AR1745. SOHO coronagraphs observed a magnificent CME emerging from the blast site:
Play the movie again. The speckles dancing across the image are caused by high-energy solar protons striking the CCD camera in SOHO's coronagraph. Those protons were guided toward Earth by magnetic field lines that connect our planet to the blast site. The rain of protons is what forecasters mean by a "radiation storm." This storm ranks S2 on NOAA storm scales
Although the explosion was not Earth-directed, we cannot yet rule out the possibility that the CME could deliver a glancing blow to Earth in the days ahead. Stay tuned for further analysis.
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22 May ' 05:49
436.2 3.2 Updated: Today at 1237 UT 1008 UT May22 Updated: Today at: 1031 UT2 quiet1.5 Updated: Today at 1237 UTThey came from outer space--and you can have one! Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store.
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21 May ' 23:01
454.1 6.0 Updated: Today at 0557 UT 0054 UT May22 0054 UT May22 Updated: Today at: 0500 UT Daily Sun: 22 May 13
Sunspot AR1748
has substantially decayed since it unleashed four
X-flares last week. It now poses a threat for lesser
M-flares. Credit: SDO/HMISunspot number:
119
Updated
22 May 201322
May 2013
Updated 22 May 2013
4 unsettled Kp= 4 unsettled1.2 0.7 south Updated: Today at 0557 UT Coronal Holes: 22 May 13
Wednesday, May. 22, 2013SOLAR WIND: A stream of solar wind blowing from a southern coronal hole on the sun is expected to brush past Earth's magnetic field on May 23-24. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance that the contact will spark polar geomagnetic storms.
THE SHOW BEGINS: The long-awaited sunset sky show of May 2013 is beginning. In only a few days, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will form a tight triangle in the western sky, visible to the unaided eye around the world. Last night, Fred Espenak of Portal, Arizona, photographed the trio in the early stages of convergence:
"The three planets were easily visible to the naked eye in spite of the bright twilight glow," says Espanel. "Mercury should be even easier to spot in the coming days as it climbs higher into the sky. "
In the nights ahead, the line of planets will collapse to form a triangle. At closest approach on May 26th, they will fit within a circle less than 3o wide. Start watching tonight--it's a great way to end the day. [
On May 22, 2013 there were22 m
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21 May ' 16:14
476.5 Updated: Today at 2307 UT C2 2237 UT May21 C2 2237 UT Updated: Today at: 2300 UT2 3.9 0.8 Updated: Today at 2307 UT Updated at: 2013 May 21 2200 UTC
Updated at: 2013 May 21 2200 UTC50 %50 %20 %10 %30 %30 %40 %Near-Earth asteroid is approaching the Earth-Moon system for a flyby on May 31st. There's no danger of a collision; at closest approach the asteroid will be 3.6 million miles away. Even at that distance, however, the 1.7-mile-wide space rock will be an easy target for mid-sized backyard telescopes. Using a 14-inch Celestron, Alberto Quijano Vodniza of Narino, Colombia took this picture of 1998 QE2 on May 17th:
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21 May ' 08:44
423.6 2.8 Updated: Today at 1536 UT 1041 UT May21 Updated: Today at: 1500 UT Daily Sun: 21 May 13
Sunspot AR1748
has quieted since it unleashed four X-flares last
week. Nevertheless, it still has a delta-class magnetic
field that harbors energy for strong explosions.
Credit: SDO/HMIUpdated
21 May 201321
May 2013132
Updated 21 May 2013
1 3.8 3.5 Updated: Today at 1421 UT Coronal Holes: 20 May 13
When is the best time to see auroras? Where is the best place to go? And how do you photograph them? These questions and more are answered in a new book, Northern Lights - a Guide, by Pal Brekke & Fredrik Broms.
A BIG ASTEROID APPROACHES: Behemoth asteroid 1998 QE2 is approaching the Earth-Moon system for a flyby on May 31st. There's no danger of a collision; at closest approach the asteroid will be 3.6 million miles away. Even at that distance, the 1.7-mile-wide space rock will be an easy target for mid-sized backyard telescopes. Using a 14-inch Celestron, Alberto Quijano Vodniza of Narino, Colombia took this picture of 1998 QE2 on May 17th (click to set the space rock in motion):
The sunlit side of the asteroid will turn more squarely toward Earth during the first week of June. At that time it will reach a maximum brightness of 11th magnitude.
NASA radars will be monitoring the flyby, too. "Asteroid 1998 QE2 will be an outstanding radar imaging target at Goldstone and Arecibo and we expect to obtain a series of high-resolution images that could reveal a wealth of surface features," says radar astronomer Lance Benner of JPL. "Whenever an asteroid approaches this closely, it provides an important scientific opportunity to study it in detail to understand its size, shape, rotation, surface features, and what they can tell us about its origin."
Stay tuned for updates and observing tips.
More auroras are possible tonight as Earth's magnetic field continues to reverberate from the impacts. NOAA forecasters estimate a 20% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on May 20th.
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21 May ' 01:34
384.8 1.0 Updated: Today at 0826 UT 0748 UT May21 C1 0012 UT May21 Updated: Today at: 0800 UT4.1 0.2 north Updated: Today at 0827 UTThey came from outer space--and you can have one! Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store.
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20 May ' 18:42
381.8 2.9 Updated: Today at 0136 UT C1 2010 UT May20 Updated: Today at: 2359 UTKp= 2 quiet4.3 2.1 Updated: Today at 0136 UT Updated at: 2013 May 20 2200 UTC Updated at: 2013 May 20 2200 UTC01 %01 %15 %Tuesday, May. 21, 2013They came from outer space--and you can have one! Genuine meteorites are now on sale in the Space Weather Store.
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20 May ' 11:40
396.5 5.5 Updated: Today at 1837 UT C9 1506 UT May20 Updated: Today at: 1800 UT Daily Sun: 20 May 13
Updated
20 May 201320
May 2013135
Updated 20 May 2013
2 4.6 2.8 south Updated: Today at 1837 UTWHAT'S IN THE OFFING? A new sunspot is approaching. For the past two days it has been crackling with flares and hurling material over the sun's northeast limb. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed these glowing magnetic loops marking the spot of an M1-class explosion during the early hours of May 20th:
The sunspot is on the sun's farside now, but solar rotation is carrying it in our direction. It a day or so it will emerge into view over the sun's eastern limb. Then, forecasters can evaluate its magnetic field and potential for additional flares. Stay tuned. Aurora alerts:textvoice
HOW TO SEE THE FARSIDE OF THE SUN: If you have an iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, mini iPad or iPad2, you can monitor the farside of the sun. Just download the 3D Sun app for a nearly live 360-degree view of our star.
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