Actividad Auroral
Aurora is caused by interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and
the solar wind (a mix of charged particles blowing away from the sun).
During solar storms, enough of these charged particles make it through
to the Earth's upper atmosphere that they interact with the earths natural
magnetic field lines. When enough of these particles collide, energy is
released in the form of auroral light.
In addition to creating a pretty light show (mostly in upper latitudes),
radio signals scatter off of these particles and can greatly enhance
propagation on 6 meters and above. High levels of aurora can also make
propagation via polar routes difficult.
Real-Time
Northern Hemisphere
Auroral Activity
|
Real-Time
Southern Hemisphere
Auroral Activity
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Click on thumbnails to view a
larger image
Images courtesy of the NOAA Auroral
Activity site
Solar X-Ray Flux
This chart shows X-ray flux levels
as measured by the GOES-8 and GOES-10 satellites. The GOES-8 measurements (shown in
red) are used to issue "solar alerts" when X-ray flux levels exceed certain
levels. Spikes on the chart correspond to solar flares. Flares are considered
"significant" when flux levels rise above the "M" level (as shown on
the right side of the chart). These large flares can often wipe out the bands almost
immediately and it can take minutes to hours for the bands to recover. If the bands
seem to go dead all of a sudden, it is always a good idea to check this chart to see if a
large flare has occurred recently.
Dynamically updating plots:
5-minute X-ray
1-minute X-ray
Satellite
Environment
K-index
Proton
Flux Electron Flux GOES Magnetometer
The following map shows Maximum Usable Frequencies (MUFs) for 3000 kilometer radio signal paths.More importantly, the current sunspot number (SSN) and Planetary A-index are updated every
30 minutes on the bottom of this image. Additionally, the grey line position, auroral ovals,
and sun position are provided.
Click on the map for more details on how to use it.
This image courtesy of Solar Terrestrial Dispatch
Current Solar Images
The images below are current views
of the sun shown at different wavelengths of light as taken by SOHO and the Yohkoh
soft-Xray telescope. Generally, more bright regions on the disk indicates
more solar activity, which usually leads to higher solar flux levels (which usually
leads to better propagation!). Click on any thumbnail to view a larger image.
SOHO
- 17.1nm
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SOHO
- 28.4nm
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SOHO
- 30.4nm
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Yohkoh
Soft X-rays
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Sometimes you may see "CCD
Bakeout" instead of the solar disc images. This occurs when NASA does routine
maintenance and calibration on the cameras. For a more technical explaination, read NASA's CCD
Bakeout explaination.
Images courtesy of the Solar Data Analysis
Center at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center |
