Sept 5th, More CMEs...

The above X-ray image of the sun was taken September 5th at 00:52:00 UTC by the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) aboard the GOES-15 satellite. Image Credit: NOAA

For the end of September 3rd and most of the 4th, the solar activity was low. Active Region 1564 (AR 1564) was the most active, producing occasional low-level C-class solar flares. And the region's spot count increased and decreased over this period. AR 1560 showed a slight decrease in spots and area. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed during the period. The forecast through September 7th: The solar activity is expected to be low, with a chance for an isolated M-class flare.

Here at home, the geomagnetic field activity level ranged from quiet to minor storm levels with some major storms at high latitudes, all from the residual effects from an earlier CME. The forecast through September 7th: For the 5th and 6th, the level of geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled with a chance for active levels. This is due to the arrival of the September 2nd CME, along with a co-rotating interaction region in advance of a coronal hole high-speed stream. The CMEs are expected to arrive around midday on the 5th. And the high-speed stream is expected to commence on the 6th. Field activity is expected to be at quiet to unsettled levels on the 7th as the effects of the high-speed stream subside. 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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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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Sept 3rd, Possible Storms From Aug 31st CME...

The above X-ray image of the sun was taken September 3rd at 01:48:00 UTC by the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) aboard the GOES-15 satellite. Image Credit: NOAA

For the end of September 1st and most of the 2nd, the solar activity was low. The largest flare was a C5 flare produced by Active Region 1560 (AR 1560) on the 2nd at 18:10 UTC. And this remains the largest and most magnetically complex region, with a beta-gamma configuration. Two potentially Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed with estimated speeds of 570 and 530 km/s, and a Type IV radio sweep occurred at 04:35 UTC. The forecast through September 5th: The solar activity is expected to be low with a chance for an M-class flare.

At home, the geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to unsettled levels. The forecast through the 4th: On September 2nd, the geomagnetic activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled. On the 3rd, the activity is expected to increase to minor storm levels with a chance for major storm levels with the arrival of the August 31st coronal mass ejecting (CME), and there is a chance of reaching severe storm levels at high latitudes. On the 4th, the activity is expected to decrease to mostly unsettled conditions as the CME effects wane. Stay tuned...

The forecast through September 5th: September 3rd will see the arrival of the CME from August 31st. The high latitudes have a chance of severe storms. On the 4th and 5th, activity is expected to decrease to mostly unsettled conditions with continuing CME effects. And the two CMEs observed on the 2nd, along with the coronal hold high-speed stream, are expected to arrive on the 5th. 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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September 2nd, the CME is Coming...

The above image was taken September 1st at 19:25:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 304 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 31th and most of September 1st, the solar activity was low. The largest flare was a C3 flare from Active Region 1554 (AR 1554) at 00:39 UTC. AR 1560 is still the largest and most complex on the sun's disc. The forecast through September 4th: The solar activity level is expected to be low with a chance for moderate activity.

Back at Earth, the geomagnetic field activity ranged from quiet to unsettled levels. The forecast through the 4th: On September 2nd, the geomagnetic activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled. On the 3rd, the activity is expected to increase to minor storm levels with a chance for major storm levels with the arrival of the August 31st coronal mass ejecting (CME), and there is a chance of reaching severe storm levels at high latitudes. On the 4th, the activity is expected to decrease to mostly unsettled conditions as the CME effects wane. 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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Now That's a CME!

The above image was taken August 31st at 19:49:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 304 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was four minutes after SDO/AIA first confirmed the coronal mass ejection (CME) stretching out from the southeastern portion of the sun's disc. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 30h and most of the 31st, the solar activity was low. Active Region 1560, 1563 and newly numbered 1564 (which just rotated around the east limb) each produced low-level C-class flares. AR 1560 grew in area and became more magnetically complex, with a beta-gamma magnetic configuration. Late on the 31st, things got interesting. At 19:45 UTC, coronal mass ejection (CME) was first observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 304 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Later, at 20:43 UTC, there was observed a C8 solar flare associated with a large filament eruption. This eruption was associated with a Type II (estimated speed 515 km/s) and Type IV radio sweeps. Further evaluation of the CME is expected from SOHO's LASCO instruments. The forecast through September 3rd: The solar activity level is expected to be low with a chance for moderate activity.

Above Earth, the geomagnetic field was quiet. The forecast through September 3rd: The geomagnetic field is expected to remain quiet. 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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August 31st, More M-Class Flares Coming?

The above image was taken August 30th at 12:11:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 94 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was the time of the M1 solar flare produced by an undesignated region on the southeast limb. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 29th and most of the 30th, the solar activity was moderate. A region around the east limb produced an M1 solar flare on the 30th at 12:11 UTC, along with multiple C-class flares. No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed. And two new active regions were designated: AR 1562 and AR 1563. The forecast through September 2nd: The solar activity level is expected to be low with a chance for moderate activity.

At home, the geomagnetic field was at mostly quiet levels. The forecast through September 2nd: The geomagnetic field for the 31st and the 1st is expected to range from quiet to unsettled, with a chance for minor to major storm levels at high latitudes. This is due to the effects of a coronal hole high-speed stream. On the 2nd, activity is expected to return to mostly quiet levels with a slight chance for active to minor storm levels at high latitudes. 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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August 30th, A C4 Flare? Yawn...

The above image was taken August 29th at 19:58:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 94 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was the time of the C4-class solar flare produced by an undesignated region on the southeast limb. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 28th and most of the 29th, the solar activity was low. The largest solar flare of the period was a C4 flare, produced just around the southeast limb on August 29th at 19:58 UTC. A new region was designated, Active Region 1560 (AR 1560), and no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed. The forecast through September 1st: The solar activity level is expected to range from very low to low, with a slight chance for moderate activity.

Back at Earth, the geomagnetic field has been quiet. The forecast through September 1st: The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominately quiet on the 30th. For August 31st and September 1st, the activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled, with a slight chance for active conditions, due to the effects of a coronal hole high-speed stream. 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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August 29th, Snoozy Sol...

The above image was taken August 28th at 03:07:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 304 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was the time of the B6-class solar flare produced by Active Region 1558 (AR 1558), on the east limb above the equator. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 27th and most of the 28th, the solar activity was very low. The largest solar flare of the period was a B6 flare, produced by Active Region 1558 (AR 1558) on August 28th at 03:07 UTC. A new region was designated, AR 1559, and no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed. The forecast through the 31st: The solar activity level is expected to range from low to very low, with a slight chance for moderate activity.

At home, the geomagnetic field has been relatively quiet. The forecast through the 31st: The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominately quiet. 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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August 28th, More ARs. That's About it...

The above image was taken August 27th at 08:21:00 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 131 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was the time of the B9-class solar flare produced by Active Region 1558 (AR 1558), on the east limb. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 26th and most of the 27th, the solar activity was very low. Three new active regions were labeled: AR 1556, AR 1557, and AR 1558. And speaking of the latter, AR 1558 produced a B9-class flare, the largest for the period, on the 27th at 08:21 UTC. Several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed, but none appear to be directed toward Earth. The forecast through August 30th: The solar activity level is expected to range from very low to low, with a slight chance for moderate activity.

Here at home, the geomagnetic field level ranged from quiet and unsettled. The forecast through August 30th: The geomagnetic field is expected to range in activity from quiet to unsettled levels with a slight chance for active conditions on the 28th and 29th, due to continued effects from a coronal hole high-speed stream. On the 30th, conditions are expected to return to predominately quiet levels. 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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August 27th, Looking for Aurorae...

The above image, taken August 27th at 00:15 UTC, shows the auroral ovals for Earth's northern hemisphere (left) and southern hemisphere (right). The image is extrapolated from measurements taken during the most recent polar pass of the NOAA POES satellite. Image Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

For the end of August 25th and most of the 26th, the solar activity was low. The sun's largest solar flare was a C1-class, produced on the 26th at 18:17 UTC from a region just around the east limb. So this is from a region to which we have yet to be introduced. No coronal mass ejections (CMEs) produced during this time are expected to have any effect on Earth. Forecast through August 29th: The solar activity is expected to range from very low to low with a slight chance for moderate solar activity.

Above Earth, the geomagnetic activity ranged from quiet to unsettled wth an isolated period of storms at the active and major levels at high latitudes. Forecast through August 29th: the geomagnetic field activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled with a slight chance for active conditions. On the 27th, there is a slight chance for major storms at high latitudes. This chance increases on the 28th and 29th, due to a high-speed stream from a coronal hole. 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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August 28th, Sleepy Sun...

The above X-ray image of the sun was taken August 26st at 11:48:00 UTC by the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) aboard the GOES-15 satellite. Image Credit: NOAA

For the end of August 24th and most of the 25th, solar activity was low. Active Region 1554 (AR 1554) produced one C1-class solar flare on the 25th at 02:36 UTC. Adn no coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed during this period were expected to affect Earth. A new region was numbered, AR 1555, which will be watched as it grows in intensity. Forecast through August 28th: The solar activity is expected to be very low with a chance of C-class flares.

At home, the geomagnetic activity levels ranged from quiet to unsettled. There were two periods of storms at high latitudes which ranged from active to major levels. And the solar wind velocity increased to around 600 km/s with the arrival of a coronal hole high-speed stream. Forecast through August 28th: The geomagnetic levels are expected to range from quiet to unsettled. There is a slight chance for storms at high latitudes in the active to major levels, due to the residual effects from the coronal hole high-speed stream. The activity is expected to decline to mostly quiet levels with a slight chance for storms at the high latitudes on the 27th. On the 28th, levels should range from quiet to unsettled with a chance for minor to major storms due to the arival of another negative polarity coronal hole. 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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Thanks for His Small Step and Giant Leap...

The above image is a portrait of Astronaut Neil Alden Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11 mission. Image Credit: NASA

Saturday, August 25th, Neil Alden Armstrong passed away while recovering from surgery on the 7th to relieve blocked coronary arteries. Armstrong was 82. Born August 5, 1930, Armstrong was an American NASA astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon.

"That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." — Neil Armstrong, 2:56 UTC, July 21, 1969

Before becoming an astronaut, Armstrong was in the United States Navy and served in the Korean War. After the war, he served as a test pilot at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) High-Speed Flight Station, now known as the Dryden Flight Research Center, where he flew over 900 flights in a variety of aircraft. As a research pilot, Armstrong served as project pilot on the F-100 Super Sabre A and C variants, F-101 Voodoo, and the Lockheed F-104A Starfighter. He also flew the Bell X-1B, Bell X-5, North American X-15, F-105 Thunderchief, F-106 Delta Dart, B-47 Stratojet, KC-135 Stratotanker, and was one of eight elite pilots involved in the paraglider research vehicle program (Paresev). He graduated from Purdue University and the University of Southern California.

A participant in the U.S. Air Force's Man In Space Soonest and X-20 Dyna-Soar human spaceflight programs, Armstrong joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1962. His first spaceflight was the NASA Gemini 8 mission in 1966, for which he was the command pilot, becoming one of the first U.S. civilians to fly in space. On this mission, he performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft with pilot David Scott. Armstrong's second and last spaceflight was as mission commander of the Apollo 11 moon landing mission on July 20, 1969. On this mission, Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the lunar surface and spent 2½ hours exploring while Michael Collins remained in orbit in the Command Module. Armstrong was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Richard Nixon along with Collins and Aldrin, the Congressional Space Medal of Honor by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." — Neil Armstrong, confirming touchdown on the Moon, 20:17 UTC, July 20, 1969

CLICK HERE to view NASA's official biography of Neil Armstrong.

CLICK HERE to view the Quicktime-formatted video excerpts from the Apollo 11 mission.

CLICK HERE to bring up the iTunes page of Apollo 11 recordings.

CLICK HERE to visit the NASA commemorative site of images and video from the Apollo Program.

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August 25th, Aurorae at High Latitudes!

The above image, taken August 25th at 02:13 UTC, shows the auroral ovals for Earth's northern hemisphere (left) and southern hemisphere (right). The image is extrapolated from measurements taken during the most recent polar pass of the NOAA POES satellite. Image Credit: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

For the end of August 23rd and most of the 24th, the solar activity was very low. Some coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were seen, but none that are expected to affect Earth. Keeping track of things, a new active region was designated, AR 1554. Forecast through the 27th: the solar activity is expected to be very low with a chance of C-class flares.

Earth's geophysical activity has ranged from quiet to unsettled, with storms ranging from active to minor at high latitudes. Forecast through the 27th: the geomagnetic activity is expected to range from quiet to unsettled with isolated periods of active storms. There is a chance for storms at high latitudes ranging from minor to major, due to a recurring high-speed stream from the coronal hole. 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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August 24th, Coronal Hole Primer

The above X-ray image of the sun was taken August 24th at 02:20 UTC by the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) aboard the GOES-15 satellite. Two coronal holes may be seen in as the dark regions, where there is no corona (hence, coronal hole). Image Credit: NOAA

The solar activity was very low for the end of August 22nd and most of the 23rd. All designated active regions were quiet and stable. And to add to them, Active Region 1553 (AR 1553) was numbered. A few low-level B-class flares were observed, but nothing more. And No Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed. Forecast through August 26th: Solar activity is expected to be very low with a slight chance for C-class flares.

Earth's geomagnetic field ranged from quiet to unsettled. Forecast through August 26th: The geomagnetic field is expected to range from quiet to unsettled through August 25th. And the same for August 26th, but with a slight chance for greater activity, due to an expected high-speed stream from a coronal hole.

Coronal Hole Primer

A coronal hole is an area where the Sun's corona is darker, and colder, and has lower-density plasma than average. Coronal holes were found when X-ray telescopes in NASA's Skylab mission were flown above the Earth's atmosphere to reveal the structure of the corona. Coronal holes are linked to unipolar concentrations of open magnetic field lines. During solar minimum, coronal holes are mainly found at the Sun's polar regions, but they can be located anywhere on the sun during solar maximum. The fast-moving component of the solar wind is known to travel along open magnetic field lines that pass through coronal holes.

A stream of solar wind flowing from a large coronal hole should reach Earth over August 26th/27th. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras during that time. 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).

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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MSL/Curiosty: Welcome to Bradbury Landing

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Enjoy this view from Bradbury Landing. The above mosaic of 23 images is a 360-degree panorama showing evidence of a successful first test drive for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) / Curiosity rover. On August 22nd, the rover made its first move, going forward about 15 feet (4.5 meters), rotating 120 degrees and then reversing about 8 feet (2.5 meters). Curiosity is about 20 feet (6 meters) from its landing site, now named Bradbury Landing. The images were made by Curiosity's Navigation cameras (Navcams).

Visible in the image are the rover's first track marks. A small 3.5-inch (9-centimeter) rock can be seen where the drive began, which engineers say was partially under one of the rear wheels. Scour marks left by the rover's descent stage during landing can be seen to the left and right of the wheel tracks. The lower slopes of Mount Sharp (Aeolis Mons) are visible at the top of the picture, near the center.

The MSL science team's new name for Curiosity's landing site was approved by NASA. The name is in memory of the influential author Ray Douglas Bradbury, who was born 92 years ago on August 22nd.

The choice of the name was not a difficult one for the MSL mission team. Many of the team members, as well as millions of other readers, were inspired by the stories of Bradbury, who also wrote of the possibility of life on Mars. In a career spanning more than 70 years, Ray Bradbury inspired generations of readers to dream, think and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and nearly 50 books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. Bradbury's groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screenplay for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted 65 of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree.

Curiosity's August 22nd drive confirmed the health of the rover's mobility system and produced the rover's first wheel tracks on Mars. Curiosity will spend several more days of working beside Bradbury Landing, performing instrument checks and studying the surroundings, before embarking toward its first driving destination approximately 1,300 feet (400 meters) to the east-southeast.

The science team has begun pointing instruments on the rover's mast for investigating specific targets of interest near and far. The Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument used a laser and spectrometers this week to examine the composition of rocks exposed when the spacecraft's landing engines blew away several inches of overlying material. Over its two-Earth-year prime mission, Curiosity will use its 10 science instruments to assess whether the area has ever offered environmental conditions favorable for microbial life.

Landed in Gale Crater on Mars on August 5th PDT (August 6th EDT), NASA's Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity rover is managed for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C., by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (Caltech). More information about Curiosity is online at www.nasa.gov/msl and mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl . You can follow the mission on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/marscuriosity .

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August 23, Same Song, Next Verse...

The above image was taken August 22nd at 16:58 UTC by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), at 94 Angstroms, aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The B6-class solar flare produced at that time by Active Region 1548 (AR 1548) can be seen just to the left of center. Image Credit: SDO/AIA

For the end of August 21st and most of the 22nd, the solar activity was very low. Beginning at 20:24 on the 21st, SOHO's LASCO C2 coronagraph observed a full halo coronal mass ejection (CME), having an estimated plane-of-sky speed of 884 km/s. Observations by the STEREO-A and STEREO-B satellites showed this to be a back-sided CME, not expected to have any affect on Earth. On August 22nd at 09:30 UTC, SDO/AIA instrument, at 193 Angstroms, recorded a filament eruption near Active Region 1549 (AR 1549). And a CME was subsequently recorded by SOHO's LASCO/C2 coronograph at 10:12 UTC, and the LASCO/C3 coronograph recorded the CME at 11:18 UTC. Analysis is underway to determine whether this CME could affect Earth. The biggest comotion for the time period came from Active Region 1548 (AR 1548), which produced a B6 solar flare on August 22nd at 16:58 UTC. Forecast: The solar activity is expected to be very low with a slight chance for C-class flars through August 25th.

Earth's geophysical activity has ranged from quiet to unsettled. Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominantly quiet through August 25th. 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).

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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MSL/Curiosity: Wiggle and Park...

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech



The above animation is a set of four images showing the movement of the rear right wheel of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)/Curiosity rover, as MSL drivers turned the wheels in place at the landing site on Mars.

Using the elbow of the wheel arm as a reference, and using an analog clock face for positioning, the sequence of the image is as follows: 3 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 3:30. This sequence can be confirmed by referencing the progression of the shadow a the upper right of the images.

The images were taken August 21st by Curiosity's Navigation cameras (Navcams) during the initial steering tests. The rover drivers anticipate Curiosity's first drive in the few days that follow the test on the 21st.

On the 22nd, for the first drive test, the rover drivers plan to "park" Curiosity in a location which they have carefully examined with Curiosity's stereo cameras. While the engineers are pretty confident about the currently location, where the descent stage deposited Curiosity, they want to begin the process they will use for the rest of the mission, in which they examine a location first, and then drive to it. The steps of the first test drive are as follows: Curiosity will drive 3 meters forward (about the length of the rover), turn the wheels to the right, and drive Curiosity back a little less than that distance. The result will be a change in position of a couple of meters, and a change in direction of 90 degrees to the left. The process will take less than 30 minutes for Curiosity to perform. The MSL engineers planned to upload the driving instructions later on the 21st, for execution by Curiosity on the 22nd.

Landed into Gale Crater on Mars over August 5th/6th, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity rover mission is managed for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C., by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (Caltech). More information about Curiosity is online at www.nasa.gov/msl and mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl . You can follow the mission on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/marscuriosity .

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MSL/Curiosity: First Stretch After a Long Trip!

The above Navigation Camera (Navcam) image shows NASA's Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity rover's robotic arm, which was extended for the first time on Mars on August 20th. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

We all know how good it is to stretch after being cooped up during a long trip. And NASA's Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity rover mission team would definitely agree.

On Monday, August 20th, Curiosity flexed its robotic arm for the first time since before launch in November 2011. The 7-foot-long (2.1-meter-long) arm maneuvers a turret of tools including a camera, a drill, a spectrometer, a scoop and mechanisms for sieving and portioning samples of powdered rock and soil.

Weeks of testing and calibrating arm movements are ahead before the arm delivers a first sample of Martian soil to instruments inside the rover. The August 20th maneuver checked motors and joints, extending it forward using all five joints, then stowing it again in preparation for the rover's first drive.

The turret has a mass of about 66 pounds (30 kilograms). Its diameter, including the tools mounted on it, is nearly 2 feet (60 centimeters). Once the robotic arm is completely checked, the Curiosity team will begin using the arm with the rover's sampling system. The first drive is planned for later this week.

Landed into Mars' Gale Crater over August 5th/6th, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity rover mission is managed for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C., by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena (Caltech). More information about Curiosity is online at www.nasa.gov/msl and mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl . You can follow the mission on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/marscuriosity and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/marscuriosity .

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Next Mission? The Winner Is...

The above image is an artist's rendering of NASA's InSight lander on Mars. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

On August 20th, NASA announced its choice for the next Discovery Program mission. Set to launch in 2016, the mission will take the first look into the deep interior of Mars to see why the Red Planet evolved so differently from Earth as one of our solar system's rocky planets.

It's called InSight: Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. The mission will place instruments on the Martian surface to investigate whether the core of Mars is solid or liquid like Earth's, and why Mars' crust is not divided into tectonic plates that drift like Earth's. Detailed knowledge of the interior of Mars in comparison to Earth will help scientists understand better how terrestrial planets form and evolve.

InSight will be led by W. Bruce Banerdt at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. InSight's science team includes U.S. and international co-investigators from universities, industry and government agencies. The French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, or CNES, and the German Aerospace Center are contributing instruments to InSight, which is scheduled to land on Mars in September 2016 to begin its two-year scientific mission.

InSight is the 12th selection in NASA's series of Discovery-class missions. Created in 1992, the Discovery Program sponsors frequent, cost-capped solar system exploration missions with highly focused scientific goals. NASA requested Discovery mission proposals in June 2010 and received 28. InSight was one of three proposed missions selected in May 2011 for funding to conduct preliminary design studies and analyses. The other two proposals were for missions to a comet (Chopper) and Saturn's moon Titan (TiME).

InSight builds on spacecraft technology used in NASA's highly successful Phoenix lander mission, which was launched to the Red Planet in 2007 and determined water existed near the surface in the Martian polar regions. By incorporating proven systems in the mission, the InSight team demonstrated that the mission concept was low-risk and could stay within the cost-constrained budget of Discovery missions. The cost of the mission, excluding the launch vehicle and related services, is capped at $425 million in 2010 dollars.

InSight will carry four instruments. JPL will provide an onboard geodetic instrument to determine the planet's rotation axis and a robotic arm and two cameras used to deploy and monitor instruments on the Martian surface. CNES is leading an international consortium that is building an instrument to measure seismic waves traveling through the planet's interior. The German Aerospace Center is building a subsurface heat probe to measure the flow of heat from the interior.

JPL provides project management for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages the Discovery Program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver will build the spacecraft.  JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

For more information about InSight, visit: insight.jpl.nasa.gov .

For more information about the Discovery Program, visit: discovery.nasa.gov .

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August 22nd, All Quiet...

The above image is a GOES X-ray Flux plot, containing 5-minute averages of solar X-ray output in the 1-8 Angstrom (0.1-0.8 nm) and 0.5-4.0 Angstrom (0.05-0.4 nm) passbands. Data from the SWPC Primary GOES X-ray satellite is shown. As of February 2008, no Secondary GOES X-ray satellite data is available. So some data dropouts will occur during satellite eclipses. Image Credit: NASA/SWPC Boulder, Colorado, USA

The solar activity for August 21st was very low. There were a few B-class flares. On the labeling front, three new Active Regions were designated: AR 1550, AR 1551, and AR 1552. And several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were observed, but none are headed toward Earth. Forecast: Solar activity is expected to range from very low to low through August 24th.

Earth's geomagnetic field has been quiet. Forecast: The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominately quiet through August 24th. 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).

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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