[Dave Hancox]

Myself and Bazmundo have had a discussion and have started this thread for general chit chat, questions about Aurora and Space weather as we approach the Solar Maximum expected in May 2013.



http://www.swpc.noaa...ycle/index.html


Leaving the Aurora Watch Thread for Forecasts, Reports of Aurora and Flares and Information of Aurora Activity. http://www.ukweather...ora-watch-2012/


The Space Weather Thread will be for Reports/Forecasts of the Effects of Flares etc. on Earth http://www.ukweather...fects-on-earth/

[Jez Meyer]

Finally, a space weather topic I can post in without feeling like an out-of-my-depth idiot!

Came across this simply fantastic image today, Hale-Bopp along with the Alaskan aurora and a full moon. Has to be as close to a full-house as you can get with this sort of thing. Credit to the amazing and inspirational David Cartier for the image.

[Bazmundo]

Here's a nice new resource as part of a European co-operative project in lieu of the Solar Maximum, Spacecast will in future provide alerts for satellite companies as well as other industries and the general public. Some of the data will be from in-situ satellite observations of GPS disruption, and a lot of the groundwork has been done by the British Antarctic Survey. It's relatively new, so some stuff isn't working yet but worth checking in on; also some good links.

http://www.fp7-spacecast.eu/

[scrapemedic]

Thought I would give sunspot photography a go this morning, in between the clouds. Got a ND x10000 filter so put that on and this is what i got.

Nice little grouping which imaginatively I think looks like a bumble bee, top left, and a couple more down near the middle.
Was trying to find my 2x adapter, but having spent an hour looking for the thing, the clouds have now thickened up. Might try again friday if the weather is good.

[Bazmundo]

Superb shot, nicely done Liz!

That bumblebee is the nasty one at the moment, AR1429. See: http://spaceweather....uk/monitor.html

[Halo]

Detected the group with the naked eye (by holding the solar filter up to the sun, of course.)

[Dave Hancox]

Nice one Liz will need to get some kind of filter for the camera.

[scrapemedic]

Good luck on getting a ND 10000 as they are no longer available. I wanted to get a new one to fit my camera, but had to get a step down ring instead. I think the best screw on type you can get is an ND 400, or something with Baader film.
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN, ESPECIALLY WITH A CAMERA!

[Col Cooper]

Horizon on BBC2 right now is all about solar storms.

[00ctober]

Huge X5 solar flare has just occurred!

http://www.swpc.noaa...ts/xray_5m.html

[Bazmundo]

Looks like it's the usual suspect for flares this week, AR1429. Also got an image from EVE on SDO just after it was knocked out for twenty minutes.

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[Bazmundo]

Imagery from just after 01z just refreshed on the SDO page, it's a stunning twisted plasma loop that erupted above AR1429.

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[Bazmundo]

Movies of the active region during the X5.4 event now available from SolarSoft (LMSAL) - linked below, check the links in each section for Java/Flash/MPEGs. I'd also recommend making a movie from the iSWA site, using the SDO AIA 171 filtered image just click the movie icon in the bottom right then adjust time to 01:30 and 30 prior frames - looks like it caused a minor coronal quake.

http://sdowww.lmsal....5417_33724/www/

[Andy Mayhew]

Clear skies here this evening but horizon not hazy enough to get a full sun shot with my equipment. Meanwhile, MetO piece on the CME:

http://metofficenews...storm-to-earth/

Might be worth a walk away from the streetlights later tonight, though probably too far south here to see anything.

[John Mason]

KP Index up to 6!
http://www.swpc.noaa...lots/kp_3d.html

Could be worth a look later if not too cloudy....

Cheers - John

[Dave Hancox]

Looks impressive here at the moment can drop back very quickly though.




Was right over the UK but dropped back before I posted. Worth keeping an eye out tonight.

[John Mason]

Have to say given what is on the way the forecast re - cloudiness is especially irritating! If clear, tomorrow night would be a good one to spend in the hills - but for me, no chance.

Cheers - John

[Andy Mayhew]

Where it is clear, a nearly full moon doesn't help!

[Flatlander]

It is clear here but the moon is indeed very bright. Not much chance I suspect.

Nothing on http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ yet, either.

This post has been edited by Tim Prosser: 07 March 2012 - 19:31