Huge bursts of solar wind rising above the Sun’s corona.
Large flares are often associated with huge ejections of mass from the Sun, although the association is not clear. These coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are balloon-shaped bursts of solar wind rising above the solar corona, expanding as they climb. Solar plasma is heated to tens of millions of degrees, and electrons, protons, and heavy nuclei are accelerated to near the speed of light. The super-heated electrons from CMEs move along the magnetic field lines faster than the solar wind can flow. Rearrangement of the magnetic field, and solar flares may result in the formation of a shock that accelerates particles ahead of the CME loop. Each CME releases up to 100 billion kg (220 billion lb) of this material, and the speed of the ejection can reach 1000 km/second (2 million mph) in some flares. Solar flares and CMEs are currently the biggest “explosions” in our solar system, roughly approaching the power in ONE BILLION hydrogen bombs!
SOHO/LASCO movie of CME Fast CMEs occur more often near the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, and can trigger major disturbances in Earth’s magnetosphere, known as space weather.
<AUR>.Sunspots
Regions with Sunspots | |||
Region | # of Spots | Mag Type | |
2806 | 06 | Beta | |
2807 | 04 | Beta | |
H-alpha Plages without Spots | |||
Region | |||
None | |||
Regions Due to Return 04 Mar to 06 Mar | |||
Region | |||
None |
<AUR>.Alert
<AUR>.Alert.Subscriberlast message issued over 1hr ago
2021-03-04 05:54:58.050 (K04W)
Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
Serial Number: 3849
Issue Time: 2021 Mar 04 0554 UTC
EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
Extension to Serial Number: 3848
Valid From: 2021 Mar 02 0830 UTC
Now Valid Until: 2021 Mar 04 1200 UTC
Warning Condition: persistence
Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
Forecast Discussion
Weekly Highlights and Forecasts
Solar Weather Overview
Latest Space Weather Storm
<AUR>.DX-Cluster Statistics
Knowledge Database
Source: http://www.noaa.gov