16:16 UT - NASA SWRC simulations indicate that the leading edge of the CME will reach Spitzer at 2:56 UT 5/19/2013 and Earth at 11:59 UT 5/19/2013 (+- 7 hrs). Roughly estimated expected maximum Kp index is 5-6 (minor to moderate).

14:30 UT – Initial estimates for the CME speed are ~1200 km/s. A detailed computer model is not yet available but the CME is heading between Spitzer and Earth. Here is a look at the eruption that produced the M3.2 flare. The data are from the SDO/AIA 193 and 211 channels showing us the corona around 1-2 million Kelvin. There is a nice wave visible (you can see loops wiggle) along with mass motion away from the sun.

13:00 UT – At 21:36 UT (5/16) it gave us an M1.2 then not too long ago an M3.2 peaking at 8:57 UT (5/17). These are 10 times smaller than the X-flares. Here is a snapshot of the M3.2 from SDO 171.

credit: NASA/SDO/helioviewer/SWRC

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A composite image using an HMI magnetogram, AIA 171 (negative image) and AIA 131 from May 16, 2013

AR11748 showed us some exciting yet basically benign activity. A little image processing helps us really see certain aspects of the activity.

Keep an eye out for wiggling loops set in motion by the eruptions (from the X flares – all 4 are in the video from May 13 – 16, X1.7, X2.8, X3.2, X1.2). In particular, you can see the magnetic loops, shown in black/blue, connecting both within and between sunspots. How far away can you see loops reacting to the explosions? Waves are propagating at least 1 million mph across the solar surface. Other loops move just from the motion of the sunspots at the photosphere. Moving sunspots cause twisting and energy buildup that is released in these violent eruptions (like twisting rubber bands until they snap.) They release flashes of light (flares), they heat plasma and move material (coronal mass ejections.) The white patches are positive magnetic field regions, the black patches are negative (these are the magnetic fields of sunspots). This is like a bar magnetic on its side with magnetic field going out from the positive (north pole) into the negative (south pole.) If you look close you can see the white and black patches moving and changing. The SDO 171 Angstrom camera images are shown in black/blue. The blue-green glow is from the 131 Angstrom SDO camera images.  The black and white magnetic field come from SDO/HMI magnetogram images.

1. First segment is an HMI magnetogram with a 171 image overlaid (the image is negative), zoomed in on AR11748.

2. Second segment is the same but with 131 image added over and a slightly tighter zoom.

3. Same as first second but full sun.

credit: NASA/SDO/helioviewer

The post Wiggling Loops from 4 Flares – May 13 – 16, 2013 appeared first on The Sun Today.

12:15 UT – The NASA GSFC Space Weather Research Center has estimated that the CME may give a glancing blow to Epoxi (~5/18/2013 06:00 UT) and hit Spitzer (~5/17/2013 00:30 UT plus minus 7 hours). There is also a small chance that the flank of the CME may hit the Earth around 5/19/2013. However, no major geomagnetic activity is expected.

NASA Space Weather Research Center ENLIL CME Model for the May 15, 2013 event associated with the X1.2 solar flare.

3:19 UT – SOHO/LASCO C2 has captured the associated CME in it’s camera. Looks pretty fast.

CME associated with the X1.2 flare captured by the SOHO/LASCO C2 camera.

2:52 UT – Here is a video of the eruption. There is an expansion of loops and a lift-off of material indicating that there is probably a fast CME.

2:01 UT (10:01 pm EDT) May 15, 2013 - AR11748 has released an X1.2 solar flare, which peaked in the GOES X-ray monitor at 1:48 UT on May 15, 2013 or 9:48 EDT on May 14, 2013.

X1.2 Flare Intensity in the GOES X-ray Monitor. The flare peak is at 01:48 UT, May 15, 2013 or 9:48 UT May 14, 2013.

X1.2 Flare in SDO/AIA 304 at 01:44 UT, May 15, 2013. credit: NASA/SDO/jhelioviewer

X1.2 Flare from AR11748 with the SDO/AIA 131 and 171. The flare peaked in X-ray at 1:48 UT on May 15, 2013 credit: NASA/SDO/jhelioviewer

AR11748′s other X flares

• X1.7 – 02:17 UT on May 13, 2013
• X2.8 – 16:05 UT on May 13, 2013
• X3.2 – 01:11 UT on May 14, 2013

credit: NASA/SDO, helioviewer.org, NOAA/SWPC

The post AR11748 Releases Yet Another X Flare – X1.2 appeared first on The Sun Today.

11:44 UT – The NASA GSFC Space Weather Research Center has estimated that the CME will merge with CMEs associated with the 2 X-flares (X1.7 and X2.8) and may give a glancing blow to STEREO B (~05/15/2013 18:00 UT) and Epoxi (~05/16/2013 00:00 UT) and hit Spitzer (~05/15/2013 06:00 UT).

NASA Space Weather Research Center ENLIL CME Model

11:36 UT - The SOHO/LASCO C2 instrument observed a fast CME (~2200 km/s), non-Earth directed, associated with the X3.2 flare. STEREO Behind’s Cor2 alway observed the CME.

Fast CME Associated with the X3.2 Flare

3:32 UT – The radio blackout has been downgraded to R1 as the flare continues to decay. It is now at an M1.4 level. Here is a video of the 3 X-flares, starting with the X1.7 flare and ending with the peak of the X3.2. The images are composite 131/171 Angstrom SDO/AIA images.

1:18 UT May 14, 2013 – The region that has produced 2 X-flares (X1.7 and X2.8) in roughly the last 24 hours has produced another X-flare, larger than the previous two. It peaked as an X3.2 flare at 1:11 UT. NOAA has issued an R3 radio blackout alert.

credit: NASA/SDO, NASA SWRC, helioviewer.org, NOAA/SWPC

The post Three’s a Charm! Another X Flare! appeared first on The Sun Today.

In less than 24 hours, the active region about to rotate into view has produced another X-class solar flare.

19:15 UT - The NASA GSFC Space Weather Research Center has estimated that the CME  may give a glancing blow to STEREO B (~05/15/2013 18:00 UT) and Epoxi (~05/16/2013 00:00 UT) and hit Spitzer (~05/15/2013 06:00 UT).

NASA Space Weather Research Center ENLIL CME Model

17:54 UT – The SOHO LASCO C2 instrument observed a CME associated with the eruption that produced the X2.8 flare. These observations along with STEREO Behind indicate that the CME will probably not impact Earth.

17: 14 UT – A radio blackout (R3) on NOAA’s scale of R1-R3, was issued shortly after the flare. The current blackout level is now down to R1 as the X-ray level is still above M1. Here is a look at the current radio absorption predictions due to the X-rays hitting the atmosphere.

R3 alerts are issued at the X1 flare level and indicate a High Frequency radio (HF) and radio navigation blackout over the flare lit side of Earth for about 1 hour. At the R1 level the blackout is much weaker and intermittent.

16:05 UT – The flare peaked at X2.8.

This makes the flare the 3rd largest solar flare of the current solar cycle (cycle 24) behind March 7, 2012 (X5.4) and August 9, 2011 (X6.9).

The flare peaked in X-rays at X2.8 as shown with this trace (plot) from the GOES X-ray monitor.

16:03 UT – X flare in progress – currently at X2.4 (R3 radio blackout)

131 Angstrom Camera on SDO

credit: NASA/SDO, NASA SWRC, helioviewer.org, NOAA/SWPC

The post The 2nd X-flare for 2013 appeared first on The Sun Today.

At 2:17 UT or 10:17 pm EDT, an active region that has not yet rotated into view produced an X1.7 solar flare on May 13, 2013 (UT). This is the first X-flare of the year. The flare producing eruption also released a coronal mass ejection (CME) and a solar energetic particle event (SEP). Though the flare could be seen at Earth, the CME and SEP were directed away from Earth.

X flare from May 13, 2013. This is a composite image using the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) 131 and 171 angstrom images.

The flare was partially blocked (occulted) by the sun and so was probably larger. Imagine a flash on a camera going off. If your are off to the side of the camera you still see the flash but some of the light reaching you is obstructed. In our case we can look “around the corner” by viewing the sun with the STEREO Behind spacecraft. We don’t yet have the full quality data but the intense flash is still very obvious in the EUVI instrument using the 195 angstrom wavelength camera.

X flare from May 13, 2013. This is a snapshot of the flare using the low quality STEREO Behind data from the 195 angstrom camera of the EUVI instrument.

The NASA Goddard Space Weather Research Center (SWRC) produced a computer model of the CMEs propagation. Their model indicates that the CME will impact the Sptizer Spacecraft on May 15, 2013 at 8 UT and it may brush past the STEREO B spacecraft at 18 UT.

NASA Space Weather Research Center ENLIL computer model of the May 13, 2013 X-flare associated CME.

credit: NASA/SDO, NASA SWRC, helioviewer.org, NOAA/SWPC

The post First X-flare of 2013 appeared first on The Sun Today.

In the three years since it first provided images of the sun in the spring of 2010, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has had virtually unbroken coverage of the sun’s rise toward solar maximum, the peak of solar activity in its regular 11-year cycle. This video shows those three years of the sun at a pace of two images per day.

VIdeo & photo credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/SVS

Best of SDO Gallery (HD photos)

Original Video Text

In the three years since it first provided images of the sun in the spring of 2010, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has had virtually unbroken coverage of the sun’s rise toward solar maximum, the peak of solar activity in its regular 11-year cycle. This video shows those three years of the sun at a pace of two images per day. Each image is displayed for two frames at a 29.97 frame rate.

SDO’s Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) captures a shot of the sun every 12 seconds in 10 different wavelengths. The images shown here are based on a wavelength of 171 Angstroms, which is in the extreme ultraviolet range and shows solar material at around 600,000 Kelvin. In this wavelength it is easy to see the sun’s 25-day rotation as well as how solar activity has increased over three years.

During the course of the video, the sun subtly increases and decreases in apparent size. This is because the distance between the SDO spacecraft and the sun varies over time. The image is, however, remarkably consistent and stable despite the fact that SDO orbits the Earth at 6,876 miles per hour and the Earth orbits the sun at 67,062 miles per hour.

Such stability is crucial for scientists, who use SDO to learn more about our closest star. These images have regularly caught solar flares and coronal mass ejections in the act, types of space weather that can send radiation and solar material toward Earth and interfere with satellites in space. SDO’s glimpses into the violent dance on the sun help scientists understand what causes these giant explosions — with the hopes of some day improving our ability to predict this space weather.

The four wavelength view at the end of the video shows light at 4500 Angstroms, which is basically the visible light view of the sun, and reveals sunspots; light at 193 Angstroms which highlights material at 1 million Kelvin and reveals more of the sun’s corona; light at 304 Angstroms which highlights material at around 50,000 Kelvin and shows features in the transition region and chromosphere of the sun; and light at 171 Angstroms.

Noteworthy events that appear briefly in the main sequence of this video:

00:30;24 Partial eclipse by the moon

00:31;16 Roll maneuver

01:11;02 August 9, 2011 X6.9 Flare, currently the largest of this solar cycle

01:28;07 Comet Lovejoy, December 15, 2011

01:42;29 Roll Maneuver

01:51;07 Transit of Venus, June 5, 2012

02:28;13 Partial eclipse by the moon

Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/SVS

Completed: 2013-04-18
Video Editor: Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
Writers: Karen Fox (ASI), Scott Wiessinger (USRA)
Platforms/Sensors/Data Sets:

• SDO
• SDO/AIA/193 Filter
• SDO/AIA/304 Filter
• SDO/AIA/171 Filter
• SDO/AIA/4500 Filter

The post Three Years of SDO Images – Narrated Video appeared first on The Sun Today.

Queensland Australia gets another celestial treat after enjoying a total solar eclipse in November 2012. On Friday morning, May 10 (local time Australia), the Moon will travel in front of the Sun blocking most of its light—except for what looks like a ‘Ring of Fire’ around the Moon’s edge. Below is an image of the annular eclipse from May 2012, the first annular eclipse visible from the contiguous United States in around 18 years.

Source: universetoday.com via The Sun Today on Pinterest

Watch the Eclipse live online

The ccsc.org broadcast begins Thursday, May 9, at 5 pm EDT while the space.com and slooh broadcasts start at 5:30 ap EDT.

• www.ccssc.org
• space.com
• events.slooh.com

If you miss it, check back for our favorite photos on our website, Facebook Page and Pinterest board!

What is an annular eclipse?

A solar eclipse is when the Moon lines up between Earth and the Sun such that the Moon either partially or completely blocks out the Sun. When the Sun is completely blocked out we called it a total solar eclipse, and often this is what people think of with an eclipse. But a partial eclipse can be just as exciting. When the Moon comes just shy of completely blocking out the Sun a bright ring or annulus is visible. This is a special kind of partial eclipse, an annular eclipse.

The annular eclipse of May 10, 2013 is the first eclipse of 2013.  The eclipse will be visible from a 171 to 225 kilometer-wide track that traverses Australia, eastern Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and the Gilbert Islands. The annular path begins in Western Australia near Collier Range National Park at 22:33 UT and end at 02:20 over the Pacific Ocean.

The Sun Today has created this mini guide to viewing, and we’ll be posting our favorite images if you miss it live. If you are lucky enough to see it in-person, please share your image on our Facebook Page or email them to me at alex@thesuntoday.org with your credits and I’ll share to our community.

Science at NASA created a video last year in preparation for the May 20, 2012 annular eclipse over the United States.

Where and when to see the Eclipse on May 10, 2013

Below is a figure of the eclipse predictions from Fred Espenak of NASA GSFC.

Source: space.com via The Sun Today on Pinterest

How to Safely Watch the Eclipse

Guide to Solar Eclipses (Infographic)

Credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com Contributor – How Solar Eclipses Work: When the moon covers up the sun, skywatchers delight in the opportunity to see a rare spectacle.

The post ‘Ring of Fire 2013′ – Annular Solar Eclipse appeared first on The Sun Today.

AR11719 produced the largest flare of the year, an M6.5, peaking in GOES X-ray at 7:16 UT on April 11. First, we have a snapshot of the flare from the SDO/AIA 171 and 131 angstrom cameras. This shows us solar flare plasma from about 600,000 Kelvin up to around 20 million Kelvin.

Next is a look at the CME from the SOHO/LASCO C3 coronagraph. There is a faint ring in the image from the CME. We call this a Halo CME. The quickly indicates that it is headed toward or away from Earth but the addition SDO data and the protons on the image show us it is headed towards us.

The CME should reach Earth around 6 UT (2 EDT), April 13, 2013, according to NASA’s Space Weather Research Center CME model. The error on this time is plus or minus 7 hours. It left the sun at a speed of around 1000 km/s or ~2.2 million mph. An moderate geomagnetic storm at the most is expected.

(Click to see the animated gif)

The post A Decent Threefer Solar Eruption – Flare, CME and Particle Storm appeared first on The Sun Today.

Three snapshots of the CME from the SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph and NASA’s computer model.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJqF7SfSL7I

The Ides of March CME coming our way is the one of interest. Around 5:30 UT (3/15/2013) a filament just east of AR11692 began to erupt. An associated long duration M1 flare occurred just as an SDO eclipse began. An Earth directed CME form this eruption could be seen in SOHO/LASCO C2 as well as Cor 2 for both STEREO spacecraft. This video above shows the location of the filament in SDO/AIA 304 and relative to AR11692. Then the flare is shown in the AIA 131 angstrom data and the GOES X-ray monitor. Next a close-up of the eruption shows the event before and after the eclipse using a composite of AIA 304 and 171 angstrom data. Lastly, snapshots show the Earth-directed CME in SOHO, STEREO Behind and STEREO Ahead.

credit: NASA/SOHO/STEREO/SDO, NOAA/GOES, and jhelioviewer

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