Category: - Ascension Now

PROTONS ARE RAINING DOWN ON EARTH: STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY:

14/5/2025

PROTONS ARE RAINING DOWN ON EARTH:
Yesterday's X1.2-class solar flare accelerated a fusillade of energetic protons toward Earth, and they are now raining down on the upper atmosphere. For a while on May 13th, the downpour was intense enough to trigger an S1-class radiation storm warning, but today the proton rain is subsiding. Current radiation levels pose no threat to astronauts or air travelers. Radiation storm alerts: SMS Text

STRONG SOLAR ACTIVITY:
After weeks of calm, solar activity is suddenly high again, with two strong solar flares erupting from opposite sides of the sun:

The first of these flares (X1.2) caused a brief shortwave blackout over the Americas and hurled a CME into space. A NASA model shows the CME hitting Mercury, grazing Venus, and completely missing Earth later this week.
The second flare (M5.3) caused a longer shortwave radio blackout over southeast Asia and probably hurled a CME into space. If so, it could have an Earth-directed component. Confirmation awaits fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
https://spaceweather.com/

X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:

29/3/2025

Yesterday, the sun surprised forecasters with a dramatic X1.1-class solar flare (March 28th @ 1520 UTC). The explosion caused a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas, and it hurled a massive CME into space. That CME will narrowly miss Earth. The sunspot that caused the flare (AR4046) is now turning toward Earth, so future explosions may be more effective.
https://spaceweather.com/

X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:

28/3/2025

Surprising forecasters, today the sun produced a dramatic X1.1-class solar flare (March 28th @ 1520 UTC) with a shortwave radio blackout over the Americas. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed massive plumes of plasma emerging from the blast site:

The source of the flare is a new sunspot emerging over the sun's eastern limb. This sunspot will turn toward Earth in the days ahead, putting our planet in the crosshairs of future eruptions. Stay tuned!
https://spaceweather.com/

THE SUN IS X-FLARING:

5/1/2025

Sunspot AR3947 is sizzling with activity. Since Friday it has produced three X-class solar flares and multiple strong M-flares. NOAA's GOES-16 satellite recorded the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray flashes:

Each flare has produced a shortwave radio blackout on Earth. Almost all longitudes of our planet have experienced intermittent loss of signal below 20 MHz during local daylight hours. Because of these flares, long-distance propagation has been unreliable.
Remarkably, no significant CMEs have emerged. These explosions have not lifted much material out of the sun's atmosphere. Future blasts may behave differently, however, and the activity shows no sign of abating as the sunspot turns toward Earth. Stay tuned!
https://spaceweather.com/

THE SUN IS FLARING:

31/12/2024

The sun is crackling with solar flares. In the last 48 hours alone it has produced an X-flare, a double X-flare (pictured below), and more than a dozen M-class solar flares:

Repeated pulses of extreme ultraviolet radiation have ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, creating a series of shortwave radio blackouts rolling around all longitudes of our planet. Global ham radio transmissions below 20 MHz have not been very reliable for the last two days.
More flares are in the offing. There are currently five sunspots on the solar disk with mixed-polarity magnetic fields capable of producing M-to-X-class solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of additional X-flares on Dec. 31st.
https://spaceweather.com/

STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND CME:

24/12/2024

Big sunspot 3932 erupted on Dec. 23rd, producing an M8.9-class solar flare, only percentage points from category X. NOAA's GOES-16 satellite recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

The flare produced a brief shortwave radio blackout over Africa and the South Atlantic Ocean. Ham radio operators in the area may have noticed loss of signal below 20 MHz between 1112 UTC and 1127 UTC.
Of greater interest is the coronal mass ejection (CME). SOHO coronagraphs recorded a fast CME emerging from the blast site. The bulk of the CME will miss Earth to the south, however, there is still a significant Earth-directed component. NOAA and NASA forecast models predict it will arrive on Dec. 25th, potentially sparking a G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storm.
https://spaceweather.com/

GIANTS ON THE SUN:

29/10/2024

"Today we have three big things on the sun: A gigantic string of big and active sunspots, a large sunspot just coming into view, and a magnificent solar prominence," reports Maximilian-Vlad Teodorescu of the Institute of Space Science in Magurele, Romania. He photographed them all on Oct. 29th:

"All are far above the usual size of sunspots and prominences," says Teodorescu. "What a wonderful solar maximum!"
Three of the sunspots Teodorescu photographed pose a threat for very strong solar flares: 3869, 3872, 3874 have 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic fields in which opposite polarities are bumping together in dangerous proximity. NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class solar flares and a 30% chance of X-flares during the next 24 hours.
https://spaceweather.com/

PROTONS ARE RAINING DOWN ON EARTH:

29/10/2024

For the 3rd day in a row, energetic protons are raining down on Earth. It's an S2-class radiation storm. The protons were accelerated by X-class solar flares on Oct. 24th and 26th. As a result of the storm, a shortwave radio blackout is underway inside the Arctic Circle, and cameras on spacecraft are being fogged. Indeed, most of the speckles in the SOHO coronagraph movie highlighted below are solar protons hitting the camera. This could continue for at least another 24 hours.
https://spaceweather.com/

BIG X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:

9/10/2024

Sunspot AR3848 was directly facing Earth this morning, Oct. 8th (0156 UTC), when it unleashed a powerful X1.8-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

This explosions lasted more than 4 hours, so long that it lifted a massive CME out of the sun's atmosphere. Take a look at these preliminary coronagraph images from NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft. This CME will certainly hit Earth later this week, potentially sparking a new round of geomagnetic storms. Stay tuned for a refined forecast.
https://spaceweather.com/

TWO CMEs ARE HEADING FOR EARTH:

4/10/2024

Confirmed: Two CMEs are now heading for Earth following consecutive X-flares (X7.1 and X9.1) from active sunspot AR3842. According to NOAA and NASA models, the first will strike Earth on Oct 4th and the second (more potent) will strike on Oct. 6th. The dual impacts could spark strong G3-class geomagnetic storms with auroras at mid-latitudes, especially on Oct. 6th.
https://spaceweather.com/

THE STRONGEST FLARE YET (UPDATED AGAIN):

4/10/2024

Sunspot AR3842 exploded again on Oct. 3rd, producing the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25 so far. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the X9.1-category blast:

Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere and caused a deep shortwave blackout over Africa and the South Atlantic. Ham radio operators in the area may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as a half an hour after 12:18 UTC.
The explosion also produced a halo CME. Now that a full set of images has arrived from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), it's clear that the CME is potent. NOAA forecasts of a strong geomagnetic storm when it arrives on Oct. 6th are probably correct.
https://spaceweather.com/

SIGNIFICANT X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:

2/10/2024

Fast-growing sunspot AR3842 erupted on Oct 1st (2220 UT), producing the second-strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25. The X7.1-category blast caused a shortwave radio blackout over Hawaii and hurled a CME into space. A preliminary NASA model predicts it will hit Earth on Oct. 5th. Stay tuned for the geomagnetic storm forecast.

Above: An X7.1-class solar flare on Oct. 1, 2024. Credit: NASA/SDO
https://spaceweather.com/

STRONG SOLAR FLARE:

1/10/2024

The quiet has ended. Earlier today, sunspot AR3842 produced an M7.6-class solar flare (movie) and a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean. AR3842 has a delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for even stronger X-class flares.
https://spaceweather.com/

SIGNIFICANT X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE:

14/9/2024

New sunspot AR3825 erupted again today, producing a very strong X4.5-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

Click to view a movie of the flare

Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a deep shortwave radio blackout over South America and the mid-Atlantic Ocean: map. Ham radio operators and mariners may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as 30 minutes after the flare's peak (1529 UTC).

A CME is emerging from the blast site, but it is too soon to say whether it has an Earth-directed component. Stay tuned for updates. Solar flare alerts: SMS Tex t

more images: from Warren Spreng of Mason, Ohio
https://spaceweather.com/

X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE AND RADIO BLACKOUT:

9/8/2024

Active sunspot AR3777 just produced its most powerful solar flare yet--an X1.3-class explosion on Aug. 8th (1935 UT). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:

Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere and caused a shortwave radio blackout from North America to the Hawaiian islands. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal below 30 MHz for as much as an hour after the flare.
Of greater interest is a possible CME. The US Air Force is reporting a strong Type II radio burst. This type of natural radio emission comes from shock waves at the leading edge of a fast CME. Confirmation awaits fresh data from SOHO coronagraphs. Stay tuned.
https://spaceweather.com/