Real Time Images of the Sun
SOHO EIT 304![]() |
SOHO EIT 284 Animated![]() |
LASCO/C2![]() |
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 has been at low levels with mostly minor C-class flaring through the period. The largest flare was a C8.1 at 16/0439 UTC from Region 4055 (N07, Lo=237) that has rotated beyond the west limb. Region 4062 (S02E53, Dko/beta-gamma) produced a couple C-class flares as well. The region has a complex leader with a simple trailer but its clear given the magnetic arcades that they are connected rather than two individual regions. It appears to have a delta in the leader but the magnetic field is still being distorted by foreshortening to have confidence in that classification. New Region 4064 (S08E74, Dao/beta) also produced a minor C-class flare. There have been no CMEs observed in available coronagraph imagery.
Solar Activity Forecast
Issued: 2025 Apr 17 0030 UTC
Although Regions 4062 and 4064 have been relatively quiet they are more structurally complex than anticipated. Will maintain a 60% chance for R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) flare activity through 19 Apr. Chances for X-class (Strong) flare activity remain around 10%. 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![]() |
Southern Hemi Auroral Map![]() |
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