Real Time Images of the Sun
SOHO EIT 304
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SOHO EIT 284 Animated
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LASCO/C2
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The sun is constantly monitored for sun spots and coronal mass ejections. EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) images the solar atmosphere at several wavelengths, and therefore, shows solar material at different temperatures. In the images taken at 304 Angstrom the bright material is at 60,000 to 80,000 degrees Kelvin. In those taken at 171 Angstrom, at 1 million degrees. 195 Angstrom images correspond to about 1.5 million Kelvin, 284 Angstrom to 2 million degrees. The hotter the temperature, the higher you look in the solar atmosphere.
Solar activity reached moderate levels with an M2.0 flare at 12/0505 UTC from Region 4296 (S15W83, Eho/beta-gamma), which triggered a sympathetic M1.1 from Region 4294 (S16W93, Dkc/beta-gamma-delta) at 12/0544 UTC. The M-class events were accompanied by Type-II (estimated velocity 410 km/s) and Type-IV radio sweeps, and by a CME that became visible in LASCO C2 at 12/0524 and will not impact Earth, according to its modeled propagation path. Region 4307 (S12W05, Dri/beta-gamma) showed continued flux emergence in its intermediary region, developing new spots along its southern edge. A new region rapidly developed along the eastern limb and was numbered as Region 4308 (N08E59, Bxo/beta). All other regions were stable or in decay.
Solar Activity Forecast
Issued: 2025 Dec 13 0030 UTC
R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) flare activity levels are likely on 13 Dec due to the potential of Region 4296 and 4294 near the W limb. Probabilities for flare activity decrease through 15 Dec as the major flare producing regions move beyond the west limb. Energetic
Real Time Solar X-ray and Solar Wind
Solar Cycle Progression
Solar Cycle chart updated using the latest ISES predictions. |
Real-Time Solar Wind
Real-Time Solar Wind data broadcast from NASA's ACE satellite. |
The Solar Cycle is observed by counting the frequency and placement of sunspots visible on the Sun. Solar minimum occurred in December, 2008. Solar maximum is expected to occur in May, 2013.
Solar X-ray Flux This plot shows 3-days of 5-minute solar x-ray flux values measured on the SWPC primary and secondary GOES satellites. |
Satellite Environment Plot The Satellite Environment Plot combines satellite and ground-based data to provide an overview of the current geosynchronous satellite environment. |
Auroral Activity Extrapolated from NOAA POES
Northern Hemi Auroral Map
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Southern Hemi Auroral Map
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Instruments on board the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite (POES) continually monitor the power flux carried by the protons and electrons that produce aurora in the atmosphere. SWPC has developed a technique that uses the power flux observations obtained during a single pass of the satellite over a polar region (which takes about 25 minutes) to estimate the total power deposited in an entire polar region by these auroral particles. The power input estimate is converted to an auroral activity index that ranges from 1 to 10.
Credits:
Space Weather Images and Information (excluded from copyright) courtesy of: NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center, Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (HAO/NCAR), and SOHO (ESA & NASA).Space Weather links:
3-Day Forecast of Solar and Geophysical Activity
Space Weather Now
Real-Time Solar Wind
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
The Very Latest SOHO Images