Solar wind
speed: 405.9 km/sec
density: 14.5 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0755 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: A7 0620 UT Oct20
24-hr: A7 0620 UT Oct20
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0800 UT

Solar wind
speed: 516.2 km/sec
density: 8.0 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0955 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B7 0705 UT Oct21
24-hr: B7 0705 UT Oct21
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1000 UT

Solar wind
speed: 362.9 km/sec
density: 3.4 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1832 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B3 1402 UT Oct23
24-hr: B9 1838 UT Oct22
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1835 UT

Solar wind
speed: 342.1 km/sec
density: 7.4 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1040 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B6 0621 UT Oct25
24-hr: B6 0621 UT Oct25
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1045 UT

Solar wind
speed: 336.5 km/sec
density: 6.5 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1114 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C7 0604 UT Oct26
24-hr: M1 0247 UT Oct26
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1120 UT

SOMETHING FLARE-Y THIS WAY COMES: Suddenly, the northeastern limb of the sun is bursting with activity. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded this frenetic 5-hour sequence during the early hours of Oct. 26th:

At least half a dozen explosions occured during that brief movie. The blast site is hidden just behind the edge of the sun. It's almost certainly an unstable sunspot. The sun's rotation will bring it into view within the next 24-48 hours, creating a geoeffective source of solar activity.

Solar wind
speed: 285.9 km/sec
density: 7.1 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0824 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M1 0242 UT Oct29
24-hr: X1 1535 UT Oct28
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0830 UT

Solar wind
speed: 313.5 km/sec
density: 11.7 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0831 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C3 0315 UT Oct30
24-hr: C3 0315 UT Oct30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0835 UT

🚨GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: NOAA forecasters say there is an 85% chance of geomagnetic storms on Oct. 30th when a CME (described below) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. It could be a strong storm, category G3, which means auroras could descend to mid-latitudes--places like Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon, Virginia. The CME's arrival time is uncertain; estimates range from midday on Oct. 30th to the early hours of Oct. 31st.

Solar wind
speed: 345.1 km/sec
density: 37.2 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1745 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C3 1529 UT Oct30
24-hr: C3 0315 UT Oct30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1750 UT

Solar wind
speed: 410.3 km/sec
density: 13.0 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0926 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C3 0706 UT Oct31
24-hr: C3 1529 UT Oct30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0930 UT

GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: Get ready for a Halloween storm. Sometime on Oct. 31st, a CME is expected to strike Earth's magnetic field, sparking minor (G1) to strong (G3) geomagnetic storms. The incoming CME was hurled toward Earth by an X1-class solar flare on Oct 28th.

Solar wind
speed: 434.5 km/sec
density: 12.3 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1506 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B4 0923 UT Oct31
24-hr: C3 1529 UT Oct30
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1510 UT

WEAK CME IMPACT: A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Oct. 31st at approximately 10:00 UT. The impact was weak--a far cry from the "big hit" we expected. What happened? It's possible that the bulk of the Oct. 28th CME missed our planet; after all, it was directed somewhat south of the sun-Earth line. Despite the feebleness of the impact, minor G1-class geomagnetic storms are still possible in the hours ahead.

Solar wind
speed: 557.0 km/sec
density: 8.4 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 0525 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: M1 0301 UT Nov02
24-hr: M1 0301 UT Nov02
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 0530 UT

ANOTHER SOLAR FLARE AND CME--UPDATED: Sunspot AR2887 erupted again on Nov. 1st (0145 UT), producing an M1-class solar flare and a plasma wave that rippled across half the solar disk: movie.

The USAF reports Type II radio emissions which likely came from the shock front of a CME moving ~600 km/s through the sun's atmosphere.

NOAA analysts are currently evaluating the possibility of a glancing blow from this CME on Nov. 4th. Stay tuned.

Solar wind
speed: 562.1 km/sec
density: 8.2 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1651 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C1 1305 UT Nov02
24-hr: M1 0301 UT Nov02
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1655 UT

THE SOLAR WIND IS BLOWING: Earth is inside a stream of fast-moving (~600 km/s) solar wind, which is causing geomagnetic unrest around the poles. This is not a storm-level event. However, Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras after nightfall on Nov. 2nd.

Solar wind
speed: 546.9 km/sec
density: 8.2 protons/cm3
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1135 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: B4 0830 UT Nov03
24-hr: C1 1305 UT Nov02
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1140 UT

HERE COMES A CANNIBAL CME: It's official. The CME heading for Earth is a cannibal. SOHO coronagraphs recorded the CME leaving the sun on Nov. 2nd following a slow-motion solar flare (M1.7) in the magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2891:

Cannibal CMEs are fast coronal mass ejections that sweep up slower CMEs in front of them. Piled together, the mish-mash of CMEs contain strong magnetic fields and compressed plasmas that can do a good job sparking geomagnetic storms.
The slower CMEs, in this case, were hurled into space on Nov. 1st and 2nd by departing sunspot AR2887. NOAA analysts plugged all the plasma clouds into a computer model, and this is what they found:

The animation shows the cannibal cloud sweeping up one whole CME and a portion of another. If NOAA's model is correct, the combined CME will make first contact with our planet around 2300 UT on Nov. 3rd, with geomagnetic storms commencing on Nov. 4th.

The model also predicts a +300 km/s increase in solar wind speed and a 5-fold jump in solar wind density in the CME's wake. These conditions, if they materialize, would set the stage for geomagnetic storms as strong as category G2.