Space Weather (HF related)

[KC6ZGG]

BIG SUNSPOT: The sudden emergence of big sunspot 1045 over the weekend has caused a sharp uptick in solar activity.  The active region has produced three M-class and almost a dozen C-class solar flares since it appeared on Saturday.  The strongest blast, an M6-class eruption on Feb. 7th, may have hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras in the nights ahead as a result of this activity.

Also, ham radio operators are picking up strong solar radio bursts using shortwave receivers.  Sample sounds and images may be found at

http://spaceweather.com

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTXMF
Serial Number: 142
Issue Time: 2010 Feb 12 1145 UTC
ALERT: X-Ray Flux exceeded M5
Threshold Reached: 2010 Feb 12 1126 UTC
NOAA Scale: R2 - Moderate

HF Radio: Limited blackout of HF radio communication on sunlit side, loss of radio contact for tens of minutes.

Navigation: Degradation of low-frequency navigation signals for tens of minutes.

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: WARSUD
Serial Number: 69
Issue Time: 2010 Feb 15 1755 UTC

WARNING: Geomagnetic Sudden Impulse expected
Valid From: 2010 Feb 15 1830 UTC; 1030 PST
Valid To: 2010 Feb 15 1900 UTC; 1100 PST
IP Shock Passage Observed: 2010 Feb 15 1725 UTC



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[Wrightwood]

I sure noticed a big change in 80 meters yesterday when we had our HF net.
There was radio traffic all over the band since the recent sun spot activity 

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTTP4
Serial Number: 317
Issue Time: 2010 Mar 14 0043 UTC

ALERT: Type IV Radio Emission
Begin Time: 2010 Mar 13 2345 UTC



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTTP2
Serial Number: 694
Issue Time: 2010 Mar 18 2357 UTC

ALERT: Type II Radio Emission
Begin Time: 2010 Mar 18 2311 UTC
Estimated Velocity: 776 km/s



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTTP2
Serial Number: 695
Issue Time: 2010 Mar 25 0154 UTC

ALERT: Type II Radio Emission
Begin Time: 2010 Mar 25 0128 UTC
Estimated Velocity: 1395 km/s



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[KC6ZGG]

Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
Boulder, Colorado, USA

SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #10- 1
2010 April 05 at 12:13 p.m. MST (2010 April 05 1213 UTC)

**** STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM IN PROGRESS ****

A geomagnetic storm began at 05:55 AM EST Monday, April 5, 2010.  Space
weather storm levels reached Strong (G3) levels on the Geomagnetic
Storms Space Weather Scale.  The source of the storming is an
Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection associated with a weak solar flare
that occurred in Active Region 1059 on April 3 at 05:54 AM EST.  This
is expected to be an isolated storm that should subside quickly.  Other
than the flare and CME erupting on April 3, this active region has not
produced any significant activity.  Systems that can be affected
include electric power systems, spacecraft operations, high-frequency
communications, GPS, and other navigation systems.

Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA,
USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services
and other observatories, universities, and institutions. More
information is available at SWPC's Web site http://swpc.noaa.gov

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: WARK07
Serial Number: 30
Issue Time: 2010 Apr 12 0239 UTC

WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 7 or greater expected
Valid From: 2010 Apr 12 0240 UTC April 11 1940 PDT
Valid To: 2010 Apr 12 1600 UTC     April 12 0900 PDT
Warning Condition: Onset
NOAA Scale: G3 or greater - Strong to Extreme



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

G 3
   

Strong
   

Power systems: voltage corrections may be required, false alarms triggered on some protection devices.

Spacecraft operations: surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems.

Other systems: intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems may occur, HF radio may be intermittent, and aurora has been seen as low as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50° geomagnetic lat.)**.

[KC6ZGG]

Space Weather Message Code: ALTTP4
Serial Number: 319
Issue Time: 2010 Aug 01 0838 UTC

ALERT: Type IV Radio Emission
Begin Time: 2010 Aug 01 0808 UTC



NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

[KC6ZGG]

Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Boulder, Colorado, USA

SPACE WEATHER ADVISORY BULLETIN #10- 2
2010 August 14 at 05:04 p.m. MST (2010 August 14 1704 UTC)

**** FIRST SOLAR RADIATION STORM OF SOLAR CYCLE 24 ****

On Saturday, August 14, 2010 a small solar flare erupted on the Sun at about 6am EDT.  Associated with this flare was a coronal mass ejection (CME) that was partially directed towards the Earth. 

Also associated with this event was a S1 or minor solar radiation storm on the NOAA Space Weather Scales http:  http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/NOAAscales/. 

The only impacts expected for a solar radiation storm of this magnitude are minor impacts to HF radio communications in the polar regions. However, this is the first solar radiation storm of Solar Cycle 24 and the first solar radiation storm since December of 2006.

At this time, the solar radiation storm has subsided below threshold
levels.  However, oscillation around this threshold is possible for the
next several hours.  Subsequent significant activity is not expected
but there may be some level of geomagnetic storming on or around August 17th and 18th from the coronal mass ejection associated with this event.  Initial observations of the coronal mass ejection direction and velocity do not indicate a high likelihood of significant geomagnetic storming but the Space Weather Prediction Center will continue to monitor this event as it unfolds.

Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA, USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services and other observatories, universities, and institutions. More information is available at SWPC's Web site http://swpc.noaa.gov