UNEXPECTED CME IMPACT: A CME was supposed to narrowly miss Earth today. Instead, it delivered a direct hit. NOAA's DSCOVR spacecraft recorded the impact on Dec. 17th (0519 UT). Conditions appear favorable for G1 to G2-class geomagnetic storms in the hours ahead. CME impact alerts: SMS Tex t

THE FARSIDE OF THE SUN IS ACTIVE: Over the past week, three halo CMEs have exploded from the farside of the sun. Here is the latest on Dec. 15th:

We can't see what's back there, but it is probably a large sunspot group crackling with activity. The sun's rotation will turn it toward Earth next week. Solar flare alerts: SMS Tex t

Solar wind
speed: 649.2 km/sec
density: 2.62 protons/cm³
more data: ACE, DSCOVR
Updated: Today at 1226 UT

X-ray Solar Flares
6-hr max: C2 0752 UT Dec17
24-hr: C4 0130 UT Dec17
explanation | more data
Updated: Today at: 1230 UT

Daily Sun: 16 Dec 24
Expand: labels | no labels | Carrington

Sunspot 3924 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar fares. Photo credit: Francois Rouviere of Cannes, France

more images: from Argentina; from California;

Note: On Nov. 26, 2024, a flood at Stanford University damaged a number of important SDO data servers. Repairs will not be completed until 2025. As a result, for the foreseeable future, Daily Sun images will be coming from readers of Spaceweather.com. Thank you, citizen scientists!

Sunspot number: 90
What is the sunspot number?
Updated 17 Dec 2024

GUD DX!!! 73

Bill Priakos – W5SJ

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