2012-04-30

Double flare

Newish sunspot 1471 let off 2 medium sized flares in quick succession today. You can see from my solar flare monitor the initial peak and then a second pulse as the second flare was that bit stronger. Although there are quite a few spots on the Sun they don't pose a threat for big flares. Magnetic activity is also quiet, giving us a rest from earlier in the month.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-27

Solar flares

While geomagnetic activity has quietened, solar flare activity picked up for a bit today. My solar flare monitor picked up a mid sized M class flare and a couple of smaller C flares. The Sun is scattered with spots at present but none seem to be "magnetically twisted" enough to produce strong events.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-25

More magnetic activity

At time of typing 20:00UT there is low level magnetic activity. While not as much as the last 2 nights still enough for a photographic aurora to be visible. You can see it on the right of my magnetogram here.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-24

Another aurora alert

Some activity again tonight as shown below so check for aurora

DaveG

Aurora update....

Well it looks like it was a great display. Reports have come from  as far south as Kells Co Kildare. By all accounts colours were vibrant (see Brian Wilson's comment on the previous post). It looks like we got the end of a CME that glanced past us yesterday. And activity is still continuing, the plot below shows more activity at lunch time today. If it continues I'll post here later. It dawned on me this morning that I've now predicted 11 out of 11 displays of the northern lights since last year and haven't seen one of them! Hopefully the clouds will clear next time.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-23

Aurora Alert

Large magnetic fluctuations over Ireland mean a good chance of northen lights displays. Check your northern horizon....

Dave Gradwell

here's the current plot.....

2012-04-18

A volley of flares

Like a machine gun, the Sun released a volley of flares across its Earth facing side today. And not just from one spot either. My solar flare monitor picked up the rapid fire this afternoon and by the looks of it solar activity is on the up with some fast growing spots facing us at present. While C class flares are at the lower end of the scale most of these pushed close to the larger M class (after C9.9 is M1.0). Again tuning in to the Surfing the Sun website will show these flares live, as they hit our ionosphere (about 8.3 minutes after they go off).

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-16

Big solar flare

A dramatic eruption happened on the Sun this evening. An as yet unnumbered sunspot let go a big M class solar flare that my solar monitor picked up. If you'd been watching my Surfing The Sun website you would have seen it happen in real time at about 17:45 UT. Since it is still not turned toward us, the effect on the ionosphere was not as noticable. This flare released a huge CME that was not geoeffective (Earth directed) but was captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. As this sunspot turns to face us it may provide yet more ammunition for northern lights displays.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-13

Northern Lights observed

A fine display of Northern Lights were observed across Ireland last night. They were seen in Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Donegal. Unfortunately I was clouded out for the night :(( Data from my magnetometer shows that activity continued well into the early hours and petered out about 5am, as shown below. Do keep your comments coming in.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-12

Aurora alert april 12/13

A fast solar wind is buffeting the Earth at present and is being felt as far south as Ireland. As you can see from my magnetometer, activity started about 19:00 bst (18:00UT) and is continuing as I type. Do go out and check your northern horizon for signs of aurorae.

Dave Gradwell

2012-04-05

Small flare amidst serenity

The Sun has settled into a quiet period as of  late. A weak CME heading for us over the last few days may have already passed us by. Sunspot 1450 is the most active and today released a small C3 flare which my solar flare monitor picked up. Don't forget you can watch a live stream of data coming from my solar flare monitor on my website .

Dave Gradwell