frogesque

Space Weather Advisories SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #06- 4 2006 December 13 at 8:02 a.m. MST (2006 December 13 1502 UTC) **** ACTIVE SUNSPOT GROUP PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT FLARE **** NOAA sunspot Region 930 produced a category R3 (Strong) radio blackout with an associated S2 (Moderate) solar radiation storm at 0240 UTC, 13 December (9:40 P.M. EST, 12 December). The SOHO/LASCO instrument also observed a powerful and fast Earth directed coronal mass ejection with this activity. As a result of this activity, a significant geomagnetic storm is expected to impact the Earth approximately 1800 UTC, 14 December (1:00 P.M. EST). NOAA sunspot Region 930 yielded a strong R3 radio blackout and a strong S3 solar radiation storm on 05 December. This region has been unproductive over the past five days. The active region is now a large sunspot cluster which is still rotating across the visible disk. Because of the current position of Region 930, further activity has greater potential to promptly impact Earth. Agencies impacted by space weather storms should continue to closely monitor space weather conditions during the next five days. So, if anyone has clear skies be on the look out about 6.00pm onwards tomorrow.

Ohhh! Poot!

Huge proton event associated with this flare - check out the 'snowstorm' on LASCO C3 http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/data/realtime/...213_0442_c3.gif Edit: LASOC C3 movie of event http://www.spaceweather.com/images2006/13d...me_c3_strip.gif

At X3 it should produce some activity. Depends a lot on its magnetic orientation - look for Bz going south. Good news is the moon will be past 3rd quarter and won't rise untill 2.51am here on the 15th. TuTiempo: Moon Phase Calender, December 2006 Hope this damned rain stops before it arrives

Sky got very dark a few miutes ago and opened up with hail/sleet/rain. Very blustery. (couple of pics in Photography)

Heavy squally showers with sleet mixed in on this side of the Forth at Kirkcaldy (not much above sea level). In between whiles sunny but windy. Air temp at 5C not too low but wind chill making it seem much colder. Begining to feel like winter.

Nice low arc photographed on Lewis Outer Hebrides - image by John Gray featured on Spaceweather http://www.spaceweather.com/aurora/images2...dec06/gray1.jpg Note: Hope it's OK to post this link - if not perhaps a Mod could remove the post

Shuggs: Thanks for the forecast. Am I allowed to say a bad word?

Yeah! and LASCO is in a keyhole doing a bakeout so no purty pictures either Edit: http://www.spacew.com/www/aurvis.gif has now gone brown and just touching N Scotland mainalnd

Sky has now gone very hazy with the near full moon having a weak 22 deg halo. Veiw to North is crap so nothing doing here. Anyone got a weather forcast for East Central Scotland?

Camera batteries charged up, CF cards empty and I'm ready to go at a moment's notice. Could be a long night tonight! Just looked out, sky reasonable but the moon has just cleared the rooftops, any haze at all and it will be a pain. Edit: Your second link Mondy looks as if there might be another sunspot lurking just over the limb - possibly connected by that fillament to 930

... and no moon!

Seems the X Flare is nothing to do with the coronal hole but everything to do with the latest sunspot to apear on the east limb (LHS in image) Latest SOHO 1 Unfortunately LASCO is in bakeout mode so no pics of any associated CME

Any activity is welcomed but we really need an Earth directed CME along with it. From Spaceweather: "CORONAL HOLE: There's a hole in the Sun's atmosphere today--a "coronal hole." It shows up jet-black in this false-color X-ray image of the Sun from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite: Coronal holes are places where the Sun's magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape into space. A windy gust from this coronal hole is expected to hit Earth on Dec. 6th or 7th, possibly sparking a geomagnetic storm and auroras. "

As in throwing down with a powerhose here! http://nwstatic.co.uk/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif

Another CME over the limb. Hope any associated sunspot doesn't prove to be a dud when it faces us like 923. http://www.spaceweather.com/images2006/20n..._strip_anim.gif

Radio signals reflected off of meteor trails. http://www.roswellastronomyclub.com/radio_meteors.htm

That's space for you! Not only did the weather not co-operate it was a pretty poor show. I think I saw more sporadics than Leonids Then come about 3.00am it clouded over so I came home. Driving was also treacherous on the country roads - black ice everywhere I also listened to the 'pings' from 4.30 'till 5.00 and it didn't sound as if I missed much, average sort of day.

Sounds promising Edit: what colour was it?

Some good clear holes in the sky but not seen any activity yet. I'll re-asses about midnight and if it looks worth it I'll see if I can head a bit North and out run the cloud. We seem to be right on the borderline according to the cloud maps. Thanks ICBINB B)

Nice summary page Mondy!

Likewise kar999. I peeked outside last night for a few minutes around midnight and saw a couple in the clear sky that was made all the better by having no moonlight. They weren't spetacular but still visible despite streetlights. If Sunday morning is clear I'll see if I can get some photos as I now have a cable release and a wide angle lens.

If I remember rightly 78/79 was the first and only time I have seen 'diamond dust'. Miriads of minute ice crystals falling from a clear sky and a gorgeous lower sun pillar so close you could hold it on your hand like a cold flame.

If it rattles across the sky like an express train then it's a fair bet it's meteorite or a piece of space junk. Satelites move much slower and may take a minute or two to cross the sky. If it hangs around for a few days, weeks or even months slowly moving against the star background then it's either a comet or a planet. A quick check with binocs will reveal a comet as a fuzzy blob and usually though not always has a tail.

Kp still red but has dropped back to 5. Kp of 6 is just about doable from here if the sky is crystal clear to the horizon. I generally take a Kp of 7 before I'll do much in the way of driving. Current weather is lousy, lead sky and drizzle.