Starship Asterisk*

Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns

Explanation: It's back. The famous active region on the Sun that created auroras visible around the Earth earlier this month has survived its rotation around the far side of the Sun -- and returned. Yesterday, as it was beginning to reappear on the Earth-facing side, the region formerly labeled AR 3664 threw another major solar flare, again in the highest-energy X-class range. The featured video shows the emerging active region on the lower left, as it was captured by NASA's Earth-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory yesterday in ultraviolet light. The video is a time-lapse of the entire Sun rotating over 24 hours. Watch the lower-left region carefully at about the 2-second mark to see the powerful flare burst out. The energetic particles from that flare and associated CME are not expected to directly impact the Earth and trigger impressive auroras, but scientists will keep a close watch on this unusually active region over the next two weeks, as it faces the Earth, to see what develops.

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Is it just me, or is the main APOD link (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) not working today?

Rauf wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:18 am Is it just me, or is the main APOD link (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) not working today?

It's not just you. Todays APOD is completely blank - really is "open space"

JimB wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:55 am

Rauf wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:18 am Is it just me, or is the main APOD link (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) not working today?

It's not just you. Todays APOD is completely blank - really is "open space"

Well, it's not so blank now!

Rauf wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:57 am

JimB wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:55 am

Rauf wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:18 am Is it just me, or is the main APOD link (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) not working today?

It's not just you. Todays APOD is completely blank - really is "open space"

Well, it's not so blank now!

OK. Slow internet (rural Devon) or software update - who knows? But it has sprung into life now so I'm happy!

First a total eclipse, then a historic sunspot leading to nearly global auroras, and now yet more! The Sun gives quite a show these days!

The spaceweather link in the caption of the APOD shows this image of the same flare with the following comment from its author : "I have not seen an explosion like this in my 40 years of observing the sun," says Karrer. "So fast, so far out into space! It was gigantic."

Rauf wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:18 am Is it just me, or is the main APOD link (https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) not working today?

Yes. There was an unusual HTML tag error that we fixed soon after we were alerted. We apologize for the inconvenice.

So, I presume this extremely brief flash at the 2s mark (approximately) is the flare? A split second later it vanishes.


Also, I also assume the reason it won't have much of an effect on the Earth is simply because it wasn't directed in the Earth's direction? It looks to have "fired" almost perpendicular to our line sight.

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 3:43 pm So, I presume this extremely brief flash at the 2s mark (approximately) is the flare? A split second later it vanishes.


huge sp;ar f;lare from AR3664.jpg


Also, I also assume the reason it won't have much of an effect on the Earth is simply because it wasn't directed in the Earth's direction? It looks to have "fired" almost perpendicular to our line sight.

Somehow my feeling tells me that this was a good thing

jac berne (SDO-AIA 6.58-7.13)


...45 min. later... jac berne (LASCO C2 8.00)

Now let's see how the party continues.
At the moment the thing is firing on all barrels.
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0094
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0131
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0171
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0193
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0211
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0304
https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/dailymov ... _1024_0335

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 3:43 pm So, I presume this extremely brief flash at the 2s mark (approximately) is the flare? A split second later it vanishes.


huge sp;ar f;lare from AR3664.jpg


Also, I also assume the reason it won't have much of an effect on the Earth is simply because it wasn't directed in the Earth's direction? It looks to have "fired" almost perpendicular to our line sight.

That's not the flare (which was at the surface), but is probably a CME thrown off by the flare. CMEs at angles like that can hit the Earth, because of the complex way that the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields interact, but this CME is not expected to hit Earth.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:31 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 3:43 pm So, I presume this extremely brief flash at the 2s mark (approximately) is the flare? A split second later it vanishes.


huge sp;ar f;lare from AR3664.jpg


Also, I also assume the reason it won't have much of an effect on the Earth is simply because it wasn't directed in the Earth's direction? It looks to have "fired" almost perpendicular to our line sight.

That's not the flare (which was at the surface), but is probably a CME thrown off by the flare. CMEs at angles like that can hit the Earth, because of the complex way that the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields interact, but this CME is not expected to hit Earth.

Thanks. Once again, reality is more complicated than quick amateur theorizing!

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 8:37 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:31 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 3:43 pm So, I presume this extremely brief flash at the 2s mark (approximately) is the flare? A split second later it vanishes.


huge sp;ar f;lare from AR3664.jpg


Also, I also assume the reason it won't have much of an effect on the Earth is simply because it wasn't directed in the Earth's direction? It looks to have "fired" almost perpendicular to our line sight.

That's not the flare (which was at the surface), but is probably a CME thrown off by the flare. CMEs at angles like that can hit the Earth, because of the complex way that the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields interact, but this CME is not expected to hit Earth.

Thanks. Once again, reality is more complicated than quick amateur theorizing!

Check out the heliospheric current sheet to see the spiral path that charged particles can follow. This makes flares on the trailing limb of the Sun (those just disappearing behind the Sun) particularly able to fling CMEs which will intersect Earth.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 8:52 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 8:37 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Tue May 28, 2024 7:31 pm

That's not the flare (which was at the surface), but is probably a CME thrown off by the flare. CMEs at angles like that can hit the Earth, because of the complex way that the Sun's and Earth's magnetic fields interact, but this CME is not expected to hit Earth.

Thanks. Once again, reality is more complicated than quick amateur theorizing!

Check out the heliospheric current sheet to see the spiral path that charged particles can follow. This makes flares on the trailing limb of the Sun (those just disappearing behind the Sun) particularly able to fling CMEs which will intersect Earth.

Yup , that makes it pretty clear! (And I guess those tiny balls lost in the folds folds of the sheet are the inner planets. With Jupiter in the black area on the outskirts but apparently still able to be affected.)

"Check out the heliospheric current sheet to see the spiral path that charged particles can follow. This makes flares on the trailing limb of the Sun (those just disappearing behind the Sun) particularly able to fling CMEs which will intersect Earth."

Chris - Thanks for the links and explanations. They are really helpful.

Brian

So I have been waiting to see photos taken from the ISS or any other orbiting spacecraft/satellite that shows the auroras of May 10-11 in color from space. I haven't run across a single such image and really don't know where to look for them. Does someone know where I can view such photos?

Avalon wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 2:31 am So I have been waiting to see photos taken from the ISS or any other orbiting spacecraft/satellite that shows the auroras of May 10-11 in color from space. I haven't run across a single such image and really don't know where to look for them. Does someone know where I can view such photos?

I've seen some satellite images of the aurora, but nothing in color from the ISS.

Avalon wrote: ↑Wed May 29, 2024 2:31 am So I have been waiting to see photos taken from the ISS or any other orbiting spacecraft/satellite that shows the auroras of May 10-11 in color from space. I haven't run across a single such image and really don't know where to look for them. Does someone know where I can view such photos?

That's right. There are suspiciously few pictures...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJtgxsltvlk

...actually, that would be expected...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/auroras-uhd-1.3544527 Astronaut Bob Hines shares some breathtaking photos of the northern lights taken from space station. Twitter/Bob “Farmer” Hines

A map from the Space Weather Prediction Center shows the aurora forecast for the U.S. on May 10, 2024. / Credit: Space Weather Prediction Center © Provided by CBS News

... 4 the next run, see ...
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/auro ... perimental