Here’s a look back to yesterday’s sun activity (June 4, 2023). It turns out that the beautiful last-minute filament eruption we reported yesterday, on the sun’s southwest quadrant – the one that could be seen lifting ejecta into space – registered a partial halo event via the SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C3 imagery at around 12 UTC on June 4. A halo event is a sign that a CME might be Earth-bound. Image via NOAA.
Sun activity for June 5, 2023: CME on its way, possible arrival June 7
Today’s top news: Everybody’s talking about yesterday’s filament eruption on the southwest solar quadrant. As we reported yesterday, it hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. And a portion of the CME is coming our way. Preliminary analysis suggests a CME glancing blow by June 7, 2023. But do note that specialists still are working on further modeling and analysis of the event. The SOHO spacecraft’s LASCO C2 imager registered the blast at around 11:12 UTC. Then the LASCO C3 imager registered a partial halo one the southwest at around 12 UTC. Take a look to ENLIL model on our animation below. A more ample look at the blast shows the north part of the ejecta returning back to the sun. But the south portion did manage to escape into space. Last 24 hours: Sun activity keeps at low levels. There were only C flares produced during the past day, from 11 UTC yesterday to 11 UTC today. Total production of the period was 15 flares with the largest being a C5.8 flare by active region AR3327. It was blasted out on the southeast limb (edge) at 14:30 UTC on June 4, 2023. AR3327 was also the most active sunspot of the past day. It contributed with eight flares. This same active region was yesterday’s hero, too, when it had not been numbered yet. It is now being carried more fully into view by the sun’s rotation. Welcome, AR3327! Currently the sun bears seven labeled active regions on its Earth-facing side. Next 24 hours: The forecast is a 99% chance for C flares, a 35% chance for M flares, and a 10% chance for X flares. Next expected CME: Besides the abovementioned coronal mass ejection (CME) – produced by a filament eruption at around 4 UTC on June 4 – no other Earth-directed CMEs were observed on available imagery on the past day. Current geomagnetic activity: The expected geomagnetic storm arrived as a Kp = 4 (no NOAA scale) turbulence of the magnetic field. Threshold reached at 20:59 UTC on June 4. At the time of this writing (11 UTC, June 4), Earth’s magnetic field is quiet again. But there is a slight chance for a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm during the rest of the day today, due fast solar wind from a large coronal hole. This hole is now located on the sun’s southwest limb (edge), about to go out of view. But there are two new coronal holes forming on our side of the solar disk. One is on the sun’s northeast quadrant, and a larger is on the southeast. For now, unsettled conditions are expected for June 6.
Here’s a more ample view of the filament eruption we saw on June 4, 2023, on the sun’s southwest quadrant. You can see part of the ejecta returning back to the sun. Butthe most southern portion of the blast reached out into space. Image via SDO.ENLIL chart model created on June 5, 2023, shows a coronal mass ejection hurled into space coming our way. Preliminary analysis suggests a June 7 arrival at Earth. Image via NOAA.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of (5 UTC on June 5, 2023). Original image, without labels, via NASA SDO. Courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky. Today’s sun is posted by Armando Caussade. Why are east and west on the sun reversed?
The sun in recent days
This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 7 UTC on June 4, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 7 UTC on June 3, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 3 UTC on June 2, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 3 UTC on June 1, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 4 UTC on May 31, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 4 UTC on May 30, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.This image shows sun activity – with the most active regions labeled – as of 6 UTC on May 29, 2023. Original image, without labels, via NASA/ SDO. Courtesy of NASA/ SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams, with labeling by EarthSky.
More sun images from our community
We invite you all to send us your beautiful recent photos of sunspots and auroras. Naturally, we love receiving your photos! And to those of you who’ve already posted a photo to our community page, thank you.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Mario Rana in Hampton, Virginia, captured this filtered image on June 3, 2023. Mario wrote: “Hydrogen-alpha image of the sun featuring active regions AR3323 and AR3321.” Thank you, Mario!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Patricio León in Santiago, Chile, captured this filtered image of the sun on May 31, 2023. Patricio wrote: “Beautiful groups AR3315 and 3319 locked at pretty much the same south latitude.” Thank you, Patricio!View at EarthSky Community Photos | Meiying Lee in Taipei, Taiwan, captured this setting sun on May 27, 2023, where sunspots AR3310 and AR3315 are prominently visible. Meiying wrote “Just before the arrival of the typhoon, the sky in Taiwan was exceptionally clear. I specifically went to the seaside and captured the phenomenon of a sun mirage during the sunset, amidst the beautiful red hues scattered across the sky. Two groups of sunspots were also recorded, but others were blocked by clouds. At that moment, a ship happened to pass in front of the sun, making the steam emitted by the ship’s chimney particularly visible due to its proximity to the sun.” Beautiful shot. Thank you, Meiying!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | David Hoskin in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, captured these filtered views of the sun on May 27, 2023. David wrote “I captured these filtered images of the Sun in white light (left) and hydrogen alpha (right) on Saturday afternoon. Several sunspot groups, areas of plage, and many filaments/prominences are visible, indicating considerable activity.” Great comparison. Thank you, David!
Bottom line: June 5, 2023, sun activity. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is coming our way. Preliminary analysis suggests June 7 arrival. Meanwhile, a Kp = 4 disturbance was registered on Earth’s magnetic field over the past day.
C. Alex Young is a solar astrophysicist studying the Sun and space weather. Alex is passionate about sharing science with diverse audiences. This led him to start The Sun Today with his designer wife, Linda. First through Facebook and Twitter then adding an extensive website thesuntoday.org, the two work together to engage the public about the Sun and its role in our solar system. Alex led national engagement efforts for the 2017 total solar eclipse. He is the Associate Director for Science in the Heliophysics Science Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Raúl Cortés studied engineering at the Autonomous University of Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico, obtained a scholarship to continue his studies in Japan and after returning to Monterrey he got credits on MBA from the Graduate School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Faculty. He became a teacher at the University UANL teaching Math and Physics and dedicated the rest of his professional career to serve in engineering areas for USA, Japan and Germany based corporations. His passion for the skies go back to when he was a child, always intrigued about the stars and constellations and reading and researching about the matter. From 2010 on, he dedicated his attention to photographing the stars, constellations, the moon and the sun. Raúl's work on his photography has been published and posted on the ESC as well as in other platforms and has gained attention to be published by local Monterrey newspapers.
Armando is well known as an astronomy educator, after 30+ years leading extensive initiatives of public outreach and 10+ years teaching in colleges. As one of only a handful of Puerto Rican science communicators during Comet Halley's last visit, he assumed a pioneering role starting in 1985 when science was just beginning to enter the local mindset; over time his work brought meaningful change to the culture, inspiring people to pursue interests in science and technology. His affiliations include Ana G. Méndez University–Cupey, where in 2014 he spearheaded an 8-course extension program focusing on observational astronomy, the first ever in the island.
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