Sept 4th, Aug 31st CME was Felt...

The above image presents four charts: the GOES-13 satellite Proton Flux reading (top), the GOES-13 satellite Electron Flux reading (upper-middle), the GOES-13 satellite Hp reading (lower-middle), and the GOES-15 Estimated Kp reading. Image Credit: NOAA/SWPC Boulder, Colorado, USA

For the end of September 2nd and most of the 3rd, the solar activity was low. Active Regions 1560 and 1564 (AR 1560 and AR 1564) each produced occasional C-class solar flares. And AR 1560 increased in magnetic complexity. AR 1564 also had gradual growth and increased in magnetic complexity. AR 1553 produced occasional occasional optical subflares as it neared the west limb. And a new region was designated, AR 1566. There were no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed. The forecast through September 6th: The solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for isolated M-class flares.

Back at Earth, the geomagnetic field activity ranged from unsettled to major storm levels with a brief period of severe storm levels at high latitudes. An interplanetary shock passed the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft on the 3rd at 11:23 UTC, indicating the arrival of the Halo CME observed on August 31st. This was followed by a geomagnetic sudden impulse at 12:14 UTC. Field activity increased to major storm levels during 12:00 UTC to 15:00 UTC following the sudden impulse, then decreased to active levels for the rest of the period, with minor storm periods detected at high latitudes. The greater than 10 MeV proton event at geosynchronous orbit that began on September 1st at 13:35 UTC, reached a maximum of 60 pfu on the 2nd at 08:50 UTC, and was in progress as the period ended. The forecast through September 6th: On September 4th, the geomagnetic field activity is expected to be at unsettled to active levels with a chance for minor storm levels as CME effects wind down. On the 5th and 6th, quiet to unsettled conditions are expected with a chance for active levels due to arrival of Earth-directed CMEs observed on September 2nd, along with a co-rotating interaction region ahead of a coronal hole high-speed stream. this stream is expected to commence on the 6th. The greater than 10 MeV proton event at geosynchronous orbit is expected to end on the 4th. Stay tuned...

To monitor solar flare activity minute by minute, visit the "Today's Space Weather" page of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html).

To learn more about the sun and to stay current on solar activity, visit the mission home pages of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) (sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov), the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) (sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov), the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) (www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE), and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) (stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov).

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