Space Weather
Space Weather
Space weather describes changing environmental conditions in near-Earth space. Magnetic fields, radiation, particles and matter, which have been ejected from the Sun, can interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and surrounding magnetic field to produce a variety of effects.
Space weather notifications
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Aurora forecasts
Northern Hemisphere
Earth is currently seeing fast solar winds. However, any enhancement to the aurora and its associated visibility is likely to remain limited to high geomagnetic latitudes, and only giving a slight chance of limited glimpses into the far north of Scotland.
Southern Hemisphere
Earth is currently seeing fast solar winds. However, any enhancement to the aurora and its associated visibility is likely to remain limited to high geomagnetic latitudes. Given the reduced hours of darkness at this time of year, any potential viewings will remain unlikely.
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Forecast overview
Space Weather Forecast Headline: Waning Slight Chance of G1 Minor Geomagnetic Storms. Increasing Chance of R1 Minor Radio Blackouts.
Analysis of Space Weather Activity over past 24 hours
Solar Activity: Solar activity has been Low, with only minor Common-class flares observed. There are seven sunspot regions on the Earth-facing disc. There are two notable regions, the largest is in the northeast, which has consolidated recently and appears magnetically simple. The other notable region is in the south near the central meridian, which continues to develop rapidly, now with a complex configuration, perhaps leading to some innate instability. The remaining regions are all simple and relatively stable or in slight decay.
No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections were observed in available imagery.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: Earth remains within a coronal hole high speed stream. The solar wind speed has remained Strong through the period. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field, has been Weak. The north-south component has also been Weak, slightly favouring a negative orientation. The net result of the above solar wind measures was for Unsettled to Active geomagnetic activity (Kp3-4).
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: No solar radiation storms were observed.
Four-Day Space Weather Forecast Summary
Solar Activity: There is a daily Chance of isolated Moderate-class flares that may rise slightly later in the period as a result of the return of previously large active regions over the eastern solar horizon.
Solar Wind / Geomagnetic Activity: No coronal mass ejections feature in the forecast. Coronal hole fast winds are expected to continue through much of the period, slowly declining from current Strong levels.
Geomagnetic activity is expected to be mostly Unsettled to Active at first, with a waning Slight Chance of G1/Minor Geomagnetic Storms. A gradual decline to more Unsettled to Quiet conditions is then likely as fast winds ease.
Energetic Particles / Solar Radiation: Solar radiation storms are considered unlikely in the period.
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Solar imagery
SDO AIA-193
This channel highlights the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma. Hot active regions, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections will appear bright here. The dark areas - called coronal holes - are places where very little radiation is emitted, yet are the main source of solar wind particles.
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SDO AIA-304
This channel is especially good at showing areas where cooler dense plumes of plasma (filaments and prominences) are located above the visible surface of the Sun. Many of these features either can't be seen or appear as dark lines in the other channels. The bright areas show places where the plasma has a high density.
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