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 low levels, with only C-class activity observed. There are currently eight numbered regions on the visible disk. Region 4425 (N05W68, Hsx/alpha) became a unipolar group following the decay of its trailing spots. Region 4428 (S23W72, Eao/beta) grew in area and length with new flux emergence and consolidation of its leading and trailing spot groups. Region 4429 (S05W27, Cai/beta) lost penumbra in its trailing spots while consolidation was observed in the leading spots. Region 4431 (S16E05, Eso/beta) declined in area with flux submergence in the intermediary and trailing portions. Region 4432 (N13E20, Csi/beta) grew as intermediary spots emerged. Region 4433 (S16E50, Dso/beta) showed minor cancellation in the middle and trailing areas. Regions 4434 (N12E43, Axx/alpha) and 4435 (N23E57, Hsx/alpha) remained stable unipolar spots. A slow-moving eruption, potentially associated with a C1.5 flare from Region 4425, was observed in LASCO C2 imagery at approximately 04/1200 UTC. Additionally, a filament eruption from near S26W73 was first observed in C2 imagery at 04/1424 UTC. Analysis of these events indicated that the ejecta should pass ahead of Earth. No other Earth-directed CMEs were observed.
Solar Activity Forecast
Issued: 2026 May 05 1230 UTC
Solar activity is expected to be at low levels through 07 May, with a chance for isolated M-class flares (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate) primarily due to the flare potential of Region 4429. 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