December 20, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] What's happening on the Sun this week? Find out about our current space weather & what we can expect here on Earth. (Image: NASA/SDO)
December 19, 2024
The start of winter (northern hemisphere) and summer (southern hemisphere) occurs on Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 09:21 UTC (4:21 a.m. EST).
December 6, 2024
Solar maximum, often shortened to solar max, is when the Sun's activity, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, is highest in number and strength.
November 30, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for October 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
October 31, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for October 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
October 1, 2024
Tuesday, October 2, 2024 · start - 15:43 UTC · maximum - 18:45 UTC · end - 21:47 UTC
September 28, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for September 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
September 22, 2024
The Equinox occurs on Sunday, September 22, 2024, at 12:43 UTC • 8:43 a.m. EDT • 5:43 a.m. PDT.
September 17, 2024
Visible in the Americas, parts of Antarctica, the western Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Polynesia.
September 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for August 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
August 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for July 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
August 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for June 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
June 23, 2024
On July 5, 2024 @ 05:06 UTC, 1:06 am EST (July 4, 2024 @ 10:06 pm PST) the distance from Earth's center to the Sun's center will be 94,510,539 miles (152,099,969 km).
June 14, 2024
The June Solstice is coming! Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 20:50 UTC • 4:50 pm EDT • 3:50 pm CDT • 2:50 pm MDT • 1:50 pm PDT
June 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for May 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
May 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for April 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
April 14, 2024
We viewed totality in Frederickburg, TX. We did see some partial eclipse & 1 minute, 16 seconds of totality through the clouds!
April 5, 2024
If you're not in the path of totality, or you are and want to fully enjoy the eclipse experience, here are some fun things that can only be done during a partial solar eclipse.
April 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for March 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
March 24, 2024
The Worm full moon brings a lunar eclipse today during the night (4:53–9:32 UTC/GMT or 12:53 a.m.–5:32 a.m. ET) for those in Japan, the Americas, western Africa, western Europe, several oceans, and Antarctica.
March 19, 2024
The 2024 March Equinox happens on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 11:06 p.m. EDT • 8:06 p.m. PDT (3:06 UTC on Wednesday, March 20, 2024)
March 18, 2024
Totality first touches Mexico, enters the United States at Texas, cuts a diagonal to Maine, and visits the maritime provinces of Canada.
February 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for February 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
January 2, 2024
On January 3, 2024, at 00:38 UTC (January 2, 2024, 7:38 p.m. EST or 4:38 p.m. PST), Earth's orbit will be at our closest point to the Sun for the year.
January 1, 2024
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for January 2024. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
December 21, 2023
The December Solstice occurs on Friday, December 22, 2023 at 03:27 UTC - Thursday, December 21, 10:27 pm EST • 9:27 pm CST • 8:27 pm MST • 7:27 pm PST
December 1, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for December 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
November 1, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for November 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
October 28, 2023
The Hunter's full moon brings a fun event today during the night (18:01–22:26 UTC/GMT or 2:01 p.m.–6:26 p.m. ET) for those in Europe, Africa, most of Asia, and western Australia.
October 14, 2023
The "ring of fire" is visible in Western USA, Central America, Colombia & Brazil. A partial in most of the USA.
October 1, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for October 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
September 18, 2023
Get ready for Fall or Spring depending on where you live. The Equinox occurs on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 06:50 UTC (2:50 a.m. EDT • Friday, September 22, 2023 at 11:50 p.m. PDT).
September 1, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for September 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
August 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG]
Sun activity archive for August 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
August 23, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] The sun influences the Earth's climate, but what is the sun's role in climate change?
August 23, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] The sun influences the Earth's climate, but what is the sun's role in climate change?
July 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for July 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star. Image via NOAA, SOHO, and jhelioviewer.
July 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] A giant sunspot - AR 3190 - is crossing the face of the sun this week. It'lll soon disappear, but is still visible as of January 21, 2023. What makes it?
July 6, 2023
On July 6, 2023 at 20:06 UTC (4:06 pm EDT • 1:06 pm PDT), the distance from Earth's center to the Sun's center will be 94,506,364 miles (152,093,250 km).
June 30, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for January 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star. Image via NOAA/ SDO/ and jhelioviewer.
June 21, 2023
The June Solstice is coming! Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 15:57 UTC • 10:57 am EDT • 9:57 am CDT • 8:57 am MDT • 7:57 am PDT
May 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for May 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star. Image via NASA/SDO.
May 5, 2023
NOTE: It can be hard to see, as the Moon will only be a bit fainter.
April 30, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for April 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star. Image via SDO and jhelioviewer.
April 20, 2023
A hybrid solar eclipse is a combination of an annular and total solar eclipse depending on your location.
March 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for October 2022. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
March 20, 2023
The 2023 March Equinox happens on March 20, 2023 at 21:24 UTC (5:24 p.m. EDT • 2:24 p.m. PDT)
February 28, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for February 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
January 31, 2023
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for January 2023. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
January 3, 2023
On January 4, 2023, at 16:17 UTC (11:17 a.m. EST or 8:17 a.m. PST), Earth's orbit will be at our closest point to the Sun for the year.
December 19, 2022
For 2022 it occurs on Wednesday, December 21st at 21:48 UTC
4:48 pm EST • 3:48 pm CST • 2:48 pm MST • 1:48 pm PST
October 31, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Sun activity archive for October 2022. A daily record of flaring, big filaments and prominences, and other sorts of activity, on our local star.
October 22, 2022
(November 7 in some time zones.) This eclipse is a long one, with totality lasting 85 minutes, almost an hour and a half!
October 20, 2022
If the skies are clear, this eclipse is visible from most of Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and western parts of Asia.
October 19, 2022
First up, on October 25, 2022, a partial Solar eclipse! Next on November 8, 2022, a total lunar eclipse!
September 20, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] This week started with the return of region AR3088, now labeled AR3102. Activity increased by the weekend with several M flares and the return of region AR3089. (Image: David Mark)
September 2, 2022
The Equinox occurs on September 23, 2022 at 01:03 UTC (Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 9:03 p.m. EDT • 6:03 p.m. PDT).
August 1, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Limb darkening is an effect we can see on the sun where the edges of the sun are darker than the center, due to the amount of photosphere we're looking at.
July 12, 2022
Parker Solar Probe has touched the Sun. The James Webb Space Telescope will be looking at the earliest stars. In between, is the Universe we know.
June 28, 2022
Earth is at its farther distance in orbit around the Sun on July 4, 2022 at 7:10 UTC • 3:10 am EDT • 12:10 am PDT.
June 16, 2022
The June solstice is the beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. It occurs on Tuesday, June 21st at 9:13 UTC at 5:13 am EDT • 4:13 am CDT • 3:13 MDT • 2:13 am PDT
May 13, 2022
The entire eclipse will be visible for most of North America, Central America, and South America. Western Europe, western Africa, and Antarctica will see at least some of the eclipse.
May 3, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] East and west on the sun are opposite from what you might expect. On the sun, east is to the left and west is to the right. Learn why here. (Image: NASA/SDO)
May 2, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] A Grand Solar Minimum happens when the peaks of several solar cycles in a row show less than average intensity. Are we in one? (Image: NOAA)
May 1, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Solar physicists often speak of the sun's X-ray flux as being high, or low. Solar flares are like waves on the background ocean of the sun's X-ray flux.
April 25, 2022
The April 30, 2022 partial solar eclipse is the first eclipse of the first eclipse season of 2022. It will be visible starting in the southeast Pacific Ocean, the edge of Antarctica, and southern South America.
April 25, 2022
The first eclipse season of 2022 starts with a partial eclipse on April 30. It ends with a total lunar eclipse May 15-16.
March 26, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Solar filaments (aka prominences, when viewed on the limb of the sun) are large, bright arcs of solar material and magnetic fields.
March 24, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] This pattern in nature – auroras increasing twice a year – is one of the earliest patterns ever to be observed and recorded by scientists.
March 19, 2022
YAY! Another change of season is here. The 2022 March Equinox happens on March 20, 2022 at 15:33 UTC (11:33 am EDT • 8:33 am PDT)
March 14, 2022
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Lots of fun with the Sun lately. A coronal mass ejection slammed into Earth and gave weekend aurora. Then the Sun fired off a moderate solar flare.
January 1, 2022
On January 4, 2022, at 1:52 a.m. EST (6:52 UTC), Earth's orbit will be at our closest point to the Sun for the year.
December 18, 2021
It is the 2021 December Solstice! 15:58 GMT • 10:58 am EST • 9:58 am CST • 8:58 MST • 7:58 am PST Convert Your Timezone A new season is upon us! Depending upon where you live: OR The December […]
December 4, 2021
A total solar eclipse was visible in Antarctica! Check out the recap and replay of the event. Image credit: Mathew Schwartz (2017)
November 17, 2021
During the early morning hours of November 19 or late evening hours of November 18, depending on your location and time zone, the full moon will pass through Earth's dark or inner shadow (umbra) creating a deep partial lunar eclipse.
November 15, 2021
On September 1st, 1859, (161 years ago today) a 33-year-old astronomer called Richard Carrington, working at an observatory in Surrey, England, went about his daily duties of sketching the peculiar dark spots that he had been witnessing transiting the Sun.
November 6, 2021
The Sun is really really big! It is difficult to get a true feel for how big it is because nothing in our daily life comes even close.
November 4, 2021
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Aurora alert in effect for the next few days: the sun sent out a halo coronal mass ejection on November 2, 2021, due to arrive at Earth on November 4.
October 30, 2021
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] A solar storm after an eruption on the sun is carrying plasma toward Earth, which should produce northern and southern lights this weekend.
September 22, 2021
WHOOO HOO! It’s a change of season! The next Equinox occurs on September 22, 2021 at 19:21 UTC (3:21 p.m. EDT • 12:21 p.m. PDT). It’s the Autumnal (Fall) equinox for the Northern Hemisphere! It’s the Vernal (Spring) equinox for […]
September 1, 2021
[Alex on EARTHSKY.ORG] Aurora alert! A pair of coronal mass ejections will reach Earth September 1-2, 2021. Though not dangerous to satellites or the grid, they might cause auroras.
July 4, 2021
This farthest point occurs July 5, 2021, at 6:27 pm EDT or 10:27 pm UTC. At that time the distance from Earth’s center to the Sun’s center will be 94,510,886 miles (152,100,527 km).
June 20, 2021
What a great way to celebrate the Sun's importance in our lives—a stamp series from the United States Postal Service. #SunScienceStamps #NASASunScience
June 20, 2021
The June Solstice for 2021 occurs on June 21st at 3:22 UTC (11:32 pm EDT on June 20th). It is the beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere.
May 24, 2021
Every year we get a collection of 4 to 7 eclipses somewhere on Earth, either lunar, solar, partial, or total. These eclipses come in seasons, a 35-day period with typically two eclipses sometimes three. There are usually two seasons per year. 2021 has two.
March 19, 2021
WHOOO HOO! It’s a change of season! The next Equinox occurs on March 20, 2021, at 9:36 UT (5:36 am ET). It’s the Vernal (Spring) equinox for the Northern Hemisphere! It’s the Autumnal (Fall) equinox for the Southern Hemisphere! But […]
February 8, 2021
February 9, 2021 marks the one year anniversary of the launch of the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter Mission. It was launched from Kennedy Space Center at 11:03 pm ET on February 9, 2020. This mission is a single spacecraft designed with […]
December 21, 2020
December 21, 2020 is an amazing day for astronomy lovers! It's the December Solstice and the Great Conjunction of Saturn & Jupiter. Here's how they connect and some easy suggestions for making your own observations of the sky.
November 28, 2020
The second eclipse season of 2020 is here with a penumbral lunar eclipse & total solar eclipse...with bonus sky-watching tips!
September 21, 2020
This marks the beginning of fall for the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of spring for the Southern Hemisphere. The change happens at 9:30 a.m. EDT (1330 UTC/GMT) on Tuesday, September 22.
July 3, 2020
Happy Aphelion 2020! July is summer in the northern hemisphere and you might think this means we are closer to the Sun. This is a common misconception. Earth is actually farther from the Sun in July and on July 4th […]
June 19, 2020
The weekend of June 20 – 21, 2020 has a lot going on when it comes to the Sun. We get to enjoy two exciting events thanks to the orbital dance between Earth and the Moon as the move together […]
March 19, 2020
It’s Time Again for the Change of Seasons—the Vernal or March Equinox 2020! This marks the beginning of spring for the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of fall for the Southern Hemisphere. The change happens at 11:49 p.m. EDT (0349 […]
January 5, 2020
All of us on Earth and in orbit reached our closest point to the Sun, January 5 at 2:48 EST or 7:48 Universal Time (UT). This point of closest approach to the Sun is called perihelion. The point when Earth […]
December 21, 2019
The December solstice for 2019 arrives on Dec. 22nd at 04:19 UT (December 21st 11:19 pm EST). It is called the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice […]
June 30, 2019
Did you miss the Total Solar Eclipse! Check out our recap & replay of the live event.
June 21, 2019
Happy June Solstice 2019! The beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. The June Solstice comes on June 21, 2019 at 11:54 a.m. EDT. But what is the solstice exactly? There are two solstices […]
March 2, 2019
The Sun, as shown by the illustration to the left, can be divided into six layers. From the center out, the layers of the Sun are as follows: the solar interior composed of the core (which occupies the innermost quarter […]
February 7, 2019
Near-Earth asteroids like Bennu pose a potential danger to our planet, so it's important to predict their orbits with great accuracy. Unfortunately, a phenomenon called the Yarkovsky effect can make these predictions difficult over long time periods. How does this effect work?
February 5, 2019
The Sun is 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away from the Earth (this distance varies slightly throughout the year because the Earth's orbit is an ellipse and not a perfect circle).
October 28, 2018
On this day in 2003 (October 28), the Sun unleashed one of the largest and most geoeffective solar storms of the modern age (and consequently, one of the most studied).
October 5, 2018
We have been getting a number of questions and comments lately regarding the possible relationship between solar activity and geological activity, such as earthquakes and volcanoes, so I have decided to look into the matter in more detail. First let […]
August 8, 2018
Why does the Parker Solar Probe have such a long and complex orbit to get close to the Sun? Why doesn’t it just fall right toward it? Turns out it’s a lot harder to approach the Sun than you might […]
August 1, 2018
Parker Solar Probe is a historic mission, flying into the Sun’s atmosphere (or corona) for the first time! It will have 24 orbits around the sun, traveling at a top speed of 430,000 mph—the fastest man-made object ever! It can also withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft that reach nearly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,377 degrees Celsius)!
July 14, 2018
On July 14 2000, the sun produced a spectacular show! Sunspot region NOAA AR9077 when it was close to sun center let of a BANG!!! It was what one might call a text book space weather event. First came the […]
December 21, 2017
The December solstice for 2017 begins on Dec. 21st at 16:28 UT (11:28 am EST). It is called the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice exactly? There […]
August 22, 2017
A movie of the Aug 21, 2017 lunar transit as viewed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO.) Credit: NASA/SDO The Sun appears in visible light, and 171 ångstrom extreme ultraviolet light. The movie shows the Sun moving a bit because […]
August 21, 2017
For the first time since 1979, the contiguous United States will be treated to a total solar eclipse. Even more exciting, the path of totality across the USA starts in Oregon and ends in South Carolina.
June 20, 2017
Happy June Solstice 2017! The beginning of summer for the northern hemisphere and winter for the southern hemisphere. Oh, and it is two months until the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse! The June Solstice comes on June 21, 2017 […]
April 21, 2017
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has now captured nearly seven years worth of ultra-high resolution solar footage. This time-lapse shows that full run from two of SDO’s instruments. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO, Music: “Web of Intrigue” from Killer Tracks. The […]
March 20, 2017
The March equinox for 2017 begins on March 20th at 10:29 UT (6:29 am EDT.) The Spring or Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is the Fall or Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. But what is the equinox […]
December 20, 2016
The December solstice for 2016 begins on Dec. 21st at 10:44 UT (5:44 am EST). It is called the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice exactly? […]
September 22, 2016
The September equinox for 2016 begins on September 22th at 14:21 UT (10:21 am EDT.) The September Equinox is the Fall or Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Spring or Vernal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the […]
June 20, 2016
For 2016, we get the special treat of a full moon on the June Solstice. This last happened in 1967 and will not happen again until 2062. The June solstice for 2016 begins on June 20th at 22:34 UT (6:34 pm EDT.) […]
May 8, 2016
The planet Mercury will move in front of the sun, May 9, 2016, starting around 7:15 a.m. EDT and ending around 2:45 p.m. EDT. It can be seen from the ground with special solar viewing equipment however, the best way to […]
April 21, 2016
This video shows the sun in the 171 angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. It covers a time period of January 2, 2015 to January 28, 2016 at a cadence of one frame every hour, or 24 frames per day. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard […]
March 20, 2016
The March equinox for 2016 begins on March 20th at 04:30 UT (12:30 am EDT.) The Spring or Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is the Fall or Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. But what is the equinox […]
March 7, 2016
The moon will pass in front of the sun, casting its shadow over much of Southeast Asia on March 8, 2016 EST (March 9 local time). Get details & watch live!
July 6, 2015
Earth reached its farthest point from the sun July 6 at 3:41 p.m. EDT or July 6 at 19:41 in Universal Time (UT). This is called aphelion. The distance from the Sun’s center to Earth’s center will be 152,093,481 kilometers or 94,506,507 miles. The […]
June 21, 2015
The June solstice for 2015 begins on June 21st at 16:39 UT (12:39 pm EDT.) It is called the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice exactly? There are two solstices in […]
April 3, 2015
During the early morning hours of April 4, the full moon will pass through Earth's dark or inner shadow (umbra) creating a total lunar eclipse.
March 19, 2015
On March 20, 2015 a supermoon total solar eclipse occurs in the Faroe Islands and Svalbard (Norway), and a partial solar eclipse in Europe, northern and eastern Asia and northern and western Africa. The eclipse starts at 07:41 UT and ends […]
March 2, 2015
The Magnetospheric Multiscale, or MMS, mission was created to study how magnetic fields around Earth interact with activity from the sun.
February 11, 2015
Happy Birthday SDO! 5 years with much more to come! The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) celebrates its 5th anniversary since it launched on February 11, 2010. This time-lapse video captures one frame every 8 hours starting when data became available […]
January 5, 2015
Earth reached its closest point from the sun, January 4, at 1:36am EDT or January 4 at 6:36am in Universal Time (UT). This is called perihelion. The point of closest approach is called perihelion. These terms are specific to a […]
December 21, 2014
The December solstice for 2014 begins on Dec. 21st at 23:03 UT (6:03 pm EST, 3:03 pm PST.) It is called the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the […]
December 9, 2014
Do you want to be an Aurora Hunter but have no idea how to get started? (LINKS UPDATED BELOW) Now you can be one through Aurorasaurus – be part of a grand experiment “Reporting Auroras from the Ground Up.” Join […]
November 9, 2014
NOTE: The page load time might be slow due to the HD size of the photos & videos. This post is dedicated to Alex Maltosz-Cox, a 17-year old with terminal bone cancer, and his mom Bobbie. We saw your story […]
October 23, 2014
As of October 23, 2014, AR12192 is now the Biggest sunspot in 2 solar cycles. Just yesterday it reached the rank of largest sunspot in cycle 24. The sunspot measures a whopping 2700 microhemispheres (MH or millionths of a visible […]
October 22, 2014
14:28 UT – Flare peaked in GOES X-rays at X1.6 14:17 UT – The flare is still in progress but at the X1.4 level. NOAA/SWPC issued a R3 (out of 5) radio blackout (Wide area blackout of HF (high […]
October 22, 2014
Since rotating into view, the sunspot group AR12192 has continued to grow in size and complexity, becoming the largest sunspot of the current solar cycle, cycle 24 (SC24.) The region has produced numerous C and M-class flares including an X1 flare. As […]
October 20, 2014
On Oct. 23, 2014 a partial solar eclipse will be visible to most of North America in the late afternoon. This is the last eclipse of 2014. Never look at the sun or an eclipse directly! Eye safety during solar eclipses […]
October 19, 2014
Sunspot group, AR12192, released a strong burst of magnetic energy in the form of an X1.1 flare and a surge of solar plasma. The solar flare peaked in the GOES X-ray monitor at 5:01 UT, 10/19/2014. There was no significant […]
October 18, 2014
The active region on the southeast limb has now been designated as AR12192. This region has already produced several M and many C-class flares. Philippe Tosi of Nîmes, France, took this photograph of AR12192 on Oct. 18, 2014. The animated […]
September 12, 2014
UPDATE #4 (13:30 UT 9/13)) – The storm is subsiding but beautiful aurora were had by many. Even down to the northern US like Maine. “I took the picture from Casco, Maine, facing north towards the Presidential Range in New Hampshire,” […]
September 10, 2014
AR12158 produced an X1.6 flare along with a coronal mass ejection. The flare peaked in X-rays at 17:45 UT. 18:20 UT (9/11/2014) – This movie is a difference movie created by Dr. Nariaki Nitta (@halocme) from the Lockheed Martin Solar and […]
September 2, 2014
SDO and SOHO were not the only spacecraft to capture the spectacular eruption off the East (left) limb of the sun on August 24, 2014. The M5.9 flare (at 12:17 UT) from AR 12151 was seen by the STEREO SECCHI […]
August 29, 2014
The Fall 2014 Eclipse SDO Eclipse Season starts today. Around 7:30 UT (2:30 EDT) each day for the next 3 weeks (until Sept. 21), Earth will pass between the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the sun. The first eclipse is only […]
August 10, 2014
Today’s full moon is the year’s closest supermoon. Today’s full moon is the year’s closest supermoon. A supermoon is when a full moon or a new moon is coincident with the closest approach (called perigee) of the Moon to Earth. […]
August 4, 2014
High above the solar surface in the hot million+ C solar corona sits a giant filament of cooler (~50,000 C), denser material, both supported and restrained by solar magnetic fields. If this filament should become unstable as they sometimes do […]
July 8, 2014
01:22 UT – AR12113 produced an M1.2 flare that peaked in GOES X-ray at 00:26 UT Type II radio emission was detected at 00:29 UT. This emission is associated with a solar eruption and typically indicate a coronal mass ejection […]
July 8, 2014
03:11 UT – Space Weather researchers at NASA/GSFC have determined the CME may affect Mars and Spitzer as well as possibly glance Earth. The CME has an estimated speed of 725 km/s. Below is a computer model showing the CMEs […]
July 5, 2014
Earth reaches its furthest point from the sun, July 3, at 8pm EDT or July 4 at 1am in Universal Time (UT). This is called aphelion. The point of closest approach is called perihelion. These terms are specific to a […]
June 30, 2014
The active sun is rotating into view, that could mean there is solar fun to come. For the past 2 weeks that sun has been a bit quiet but that is only because the regions of current solar activity were […]
June 20, 2014
The June solstice for 2014 begins on June 21st at 10:51 UT (6:51 am EDT.) It is called the summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the winter solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice exactly? There are two solstices in a […]
June 17, 2014
A giant filament on the eastern edge of the sun really puts the size of our star, Earth and the planets into perspective. This structure of solar plasma, a billion plus tons of 80,000 degree Fahrenheit material, sits high above […]
June 12, 2014
NOAA active region AR12087 began making its activity apparent in SDO well before it became visible on the Earth facing solar disk. Solar flares from the region became visible in the first week of June. On June 10, the region […]
June 10, 2014
Just after the X2.2 AR12087 let out an X1.5 flare peaking at 12:52 UT. Here is a snapshot of the event using the SDO/AIA 131 angstrom channel. This shows plasmas with temperatures up to about 10 million Kelvin. http://youtu.be/cV5ccg3n_J0 The […]
June 10, 2014
12:05 UT – X flare!! An X2.2 solar flare from a new region (AR12087) on the southeast limb is underway. The flare peaked in x-rays around 11:42 UT. Here is a snapshot from the SDO/AIA 94 angstrom channel with the […]
June 9, 2014
High latitude observers treated with spectacular aurora June 8 and June 9th. The CME that glanced Earth’s magnetosphere on June 7 started a minor geomagnetic disturbance just after the impact that grew into a G1 then G2 level geomagnetic storm […]
June 7, 2014
The CME is here! As predicted the CME from the June 4 filament eruption impacted Earth’s magnetosphere around 16:30 UT with a glancing blow and created a minor geomagnetic disturbance. The plot above shows the solar wind measured by the ACE spacecraft, […]
June 6, 2014
The slow CME produced by the giant filament eruption from June 4 could give Earth a glancing blow. The impact should be very weak but there could be a minor geomagnetic enhancement on June 7. High latitude aurora watchers may […]
June 5, 2014
A huge filament on the southeast of the sun erupted towards the end of June 4. The filament was somewhere between a whopping 500,000 – 1 million km in length. This eruption produced a fairly slow coronal mass ejection that […]
April 21, 2014
Massive solar flares, graceful eruptions of solar material, and an enormous sunspot make up some of the imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory during its fourth year in orbit. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO, Music: Stella Maris courtesy of Moby […]
April 14, 2014
During the nighttime hours of April 14 or 15 (depending on your time zone), the full moon will pass through Earth's dark or inner shadow (umbra) creating a total lunar eclipse for most of North and South America.
February 28, 2014
It’s that time of year. SDO spring eclipse season started February 27, 2014. During the 3 week season, Earth will pass between SDO and the Sun around 07:30 UT each day. Initially the eclipses are a few minutes long. Their […]
February 20, 2014
Geomagnetic storms continue while an eruption on the west limb of the sun brings a flare, protons and possibly another CME our way. Solar Eruption The sun erupted with an M3 X-ray flare (NOAA Scale R1-Minor radio blackout) peaked in […]
February 19, 2014
A CME from February 16, 2014 has impacted Earth. The CME’s magnetic structure was such that it stirred things up in the magnetosphere. A significant interplanetary shock detected by ACE at L1 at 3:10 UT, February 19, 2014. The […]
February 14, 2014
3 CMEs are headed for Earth with the first impact expected late on Feb. 14, 2014 for some Valentine’s day and weekend aurora! Space weather forecasters are waiting to see what is in store for this weekend. Three separate CMEs […]
February 12, 2014
A whole lot of spots going on! We no longer have the rumbling region AR11967 but the solar disk is covered with smaller regions and AR11974 is sitting at disk center popping of lots of small and medium-sized flares. It […]
February 5, 2014
The level of solar activity is moderate. NOAA region 11967 continues to be the largest and most complex active region on disk. This region would engulf Jupiter and several Earths all at once. This region has maintained spot area and decreased marginally in […]
February 3, 2014
Although this might sound alarming, there really is nothing to worry about! It’s a normal part of the solar cycle – it heralds the second half of the solar cycle. Learn about why this happens. At a Glance The sun’s […]
February 1, 2014
There are two main active regions (ARs 11967/11968) on the sun and both are giving a moderate show. AR11967 continues to produce C- and M-level events, including an M3.0 flare at 07:14 UT Feb. 1, 2014. The region continues to show signs […]
January 31, 2014
CME may impact Earth on Feb. 2, 2014 according to NASA SWRC research models. At 16:11 UT Jan. 30, 2014, an M6.6 flare from AR11967 peaked in the GOES X-ray monitor. This was about 15 minutes after the completion of an […]
January 29, 2014
UPDATES 16:17 UT (11:17 UT) – The transit ends with a bang! – an M6.6 flare peaked at 16:11 from AR11967. These images are from just before the flare peak at around 16:00 UT (11:00 EST) again in all 9 SDO/AIA wavelengths. […]
January 29, 2014
AR11967 continues to stay lively. In less than 24 hours on Jan. 28, it produced 7 M-class solar flares. The largest flare was an M4.9 at 19:00 UT. Here is a video of composite 304, 171 and 193 angstrom SDO/AIA […]
January 28, 2014
Sunspot group or active region AR11944 that gave us such a show at the beginning of the year is back. After taking its trip around the sun it has rotated onto the Earth facing solar disk and NOAA has labeled it […]
January 27, 2014
22:30 UT – January 27, 2014 – At 22:10 UT a solar flare erupted from the new region coming into view – peaking at an M4.9 rating. NOAA issued an R1 (out of 5) radio blackout meaning possible HF […]
January 7, 2014
UPDATE – 17:59 UT – January 10, 2014 – Though there is still a chance for some geomagnetic effects from the CME it turned out to not be much of an event and we will most likely not see any increased […]
December 20, 2013
The December solstice for 2013 begins on Dec. 21st at 17:11 UT. It is called the winter solstice for the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice for the Southern Hemisphere. But what is the solstice exactly? There are two solstices […]
November 28, 2013
What are your questions? Post them in the comments & I’ll work on getting them getting answered ASAP.
November 19, 2013
11 UT (11/19/2013) – Sunspot group AR11893 erupted producing a X1 solar flare peaking at 10:26 UT, Nov. 19, 2013. A 10 cm radio burst associated with the solar flare was observed at 10:20 UT. This radio noise is generally […]
November 17, 2013
Current Status of Comet ISON Updated Nov. 27, 2013 – 10:40 am EST or 15:40 UT Size 1.3 mi in diameter or 2 in diameter km Date and Time of Perihelion 28 November 2013, 18:38 UT (1:38 EST) Distance from […]
November 15, 2013
When sunspots rotate onto the solar disk facing Earth they are identified by their structure in white or visible light. Sunspots are regions of concentrated magnetic field. They are like complicated clusters of bar magnets on their sides. Some are […]
November 2, 2013
There will be a hybrid solar eclipse on Sunday November 3, 2013. This rare occurrence of an annular and total eclipse is the final eclipse event of 2013. Never look at the sun or an eclipse directly! Eye safety during solar […]
October 30, 2013
The sun has been really active lately. SDO gives us an amazing view of this activity in many different wavelengths of light. This also shows us the sun’s atmosphere in many temperatures ranging from ~4500 Kelvin or 7600 degrees Fahrenheit […]
October 25, 2013
The newest active region on the sun has given us an X-flare and a CME! 15:10 UT (10/25/2013) X again! AR11882 kicked it up again with an X2.1 peaking at 15:03 UT. A multi-million degree snapshot with SDO/AIA 94 angstrom. […]
September 30, 2013
A huge filament erupted from the sun producing a beautiful coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar energetic particle event. Around 21 UT, 9/29/2013 a filament erupted from the northwest quadrant of the sun. It started from the surface with a […]
August 22, 2013
This time a CME is headed directly for us! Around 5:24 UT (1:24 EDT), the SOHO/LASCO C2 instrument caught a first glimpse at a CME leaving the sun directly for Earth. The CME is traveling at a fairly slow ~610 […]
August 20, 2013
There may be a geomagnetic storm in store for Earth. Lookout aurora watchers! A filament ~50 Earths in length (~400,000 miles) erupted from the Sun’s southern hemisphere in the southwest direction around 7:24 UT (4:24 am EDT). The eruption produced […]