Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

I LOVE finding out about different ways to appreciate the Sun and light in general. Use this forum to post your info or questions about various outside the mainstream ways to appreciate our life giving star!
Post Reply
User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14206
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8416 times
Been thanked: 8161 times

Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi all,

Earth has just passed through a fast flowing solar wind stream (800km/s) originating from a large coronal hole in the Heliogeographic south. The intensity and southerly magnetic orientation of this flow of protons, electrons and alpha particles sparked a G1 Solar storm here on Earth, resulting in beautiful aurora in high-mid latitude areas.

The storm was captured on my magnetometers, shown here.
20141207_G1 storm.jpg
20141207_G1 storm.jpg (164.64 KiB) Viewed 3783 times
Luckily I had just managed to get my system up and running again the day before, following a minor technical hitch.

Thanks for looking.

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Stuart

fantastic report, thanks for sharing. I love your plots


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14206
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8416 times
Been thanked: 8161 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Carbon60 »

Much appreciated, Walter.

Stu


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34560
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17667 times
Been thanked: 8789 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Montana »

:hamster: :hamster: :hamster: great news and a great plot :)

I was asleep during that storm though ;)

Alexandra


Derek Klepp
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 12900
Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:02 am
Been thanked: 171 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Derek Klepp »

Thanks Stu


highfnum
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 2031
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 2:33 pm
Has thanked: 57 times
Been thanked: 1189 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by highfnum »

cool


User avatar
marktownley
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 42272
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
Location: Brierley Hills, UK
Has thanked: 20435 times
Been thanked: 10245 times
Contact:

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by marktownley »

Impressive stuff!


Image
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14206
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8416 times
Been thanked: 8161 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Carbon60 »

Thanks everyone.

I've extended the plot to include some additional geomagnetic disturbances occurring yesterday and today from the same coronal hole.
20141208_G1 storm.jpg
20141208_G1 storm_rate of change.jpg
20141208_G1 storm_rate of change.jpg (165.11 KiB) Viewed 3741 times

Cheers

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
grimble_cornet
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 3537
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 5:10 pm
Location: UK West Midlands
Been thanked: 47 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by grimble_cornet »

An amazing presentation Stu - that is one cool bit of kit :seesaw


.

.



.


Mike Garbett

Selection of Solar and Deep Sky images on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikegarbett/
User avatar
swisswalter
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 17948
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:28 am
Location: Switzerland
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Stuart

what a fine extension of that report


Only stardust in the wind, some fine and some less fine scopes, filters and adapters as well. Switzerland 47 N, 9 E, in the heart of EUROPE :)

from 7 am - 7 pm http://www.nanosys.ch

from 7.01 pm - 6.59 am http://www.wastronomiko.com some times vice versa ;)
User avatar
marktownley
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 42272
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2011 5:27 pm
Location: Brierley Hills, UK
Has thanked: 20435 times
Been thanked: 10245 times
Contact:

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by marktownley »

I like it alot!


Image
http://brierleyhillsolar.blogspot.co.uk/
Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34560
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17667 times
Been thanked: 8789 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Montana »

Are these disturbances big enough to see aurora where you are? if not, how big does the disturbance have to be (on the plot)?

Many thanks
Alexandra


User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14206
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8416 times
Been thanked: 8161 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Carbon60 »

Many thanks for your supportive comments, everyone.

Alexandra, with interplanetary Kp-index 5 or more it might be possible to see Aurora over mid UK. It really depends on the local conditions and time of year given the oval shape of the auroral zone and our position relative to it. According to NOAA the recent activity was classed as G1 with a Kp index of 4-5, so this is borderline.

A more complete explanation of the Kp-index scale, you might like to check out http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/kp.html

On my chart I think above about 50 units (approximately 50nT) is a good indicator of a storm with possible viewing opportunities from my location, but I never seem to get good enough sky conditions.

Cheers

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34560
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17667 times
Been thanked: 8789 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Montana »

Thanks Stu :) is that 50 units including the negative scale? or does it need to reach the 50 line?

Alexandra


User avatar
Carbon60
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Way More Fun to Share It!!
Posts: 14206
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2012 12:33 pm
Location: Lancashire, UK
Has thanked: 8416 times
Been thanked: 8161 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Carbon60 »

Hi Alexandra,

+50 from the zero axis, but this is not hard and fast.....I don't really have enough data/experience to say for sure and as I say, there are other variables to take into account.

I understand that there was a lovely display over large parts of the UK last night with Kp reported as 4!

Cheers

Stu.


H-alpha, WL and Ca II K imaging kit for various image scales.
Fluxgate Magnetometers (1s and 150s Cadence).
Radio meteor detector.
More images at http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarcarbon60/
User avatar
Montana
Librarian
Librarian
Posts: 34560
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK
Has thanked: 17667 times
Been thanked: 8789 times

Re: Fast Solar Wind Sparks G1 Solar Storm and Aurora

Post by Montana »

Really! pity! it was horizontal rain and a howling gale ;)

Alexandra


Post Reply