8/20 Recap

It appears the 8/16 & 8/17 CMEs missed Earth, so the Geomagnetic Storm Watches Expired, and Solar Wind Speed had a chance to slow down to <550 km/sec today, but those missing CMEs also allowed electrons to accumulate around our globe, and raised Electron Saturation above its Alert Threshold for a few hours. We’ll likely have similar trends the next 3 days, with Solar Wind Speed slowing, and possibly getting below 400 km/sec on 8/24, and Electron Saturation continuing to climb above, and possibly stay above, its Alert Threshold during the next 3 days. . A new Incoming Sun Spot announced its presence by tossing 3 M Class Solar Flares towards Earth today. Fortunately, it’s too far east for the accompanying CMEs it tossed to be aimed at Earth. That Sun Spot is currently only rated for C Class Solar Flares, so it may calm down for a few days, but satellite images indicate there’s 2 Sun Spots that are adjacent to it and they’re arcing between each other. The adjacent 2 Sun Spots aren’t fully visible yet, so we’ll see how that dynamic plays out over the next 3 days. . Solar Flare Conditions M1.9 Solar Flare 8/20@ 3.05a CDT from Incoming Sun Spot M8.1 Solar Flare @ 6.42a CDT from Incoming Sun Spot M2.9 Solar Flare @ 11.11a CDT from Incoming Sun Spot M Class Solar Flare Watch . Geomagnetic Conditions HP = 3.3 Average . Solar Wind Conditions Solar Wind Density <7.0/cm3 8/19 @ 7.00p CDT Solar Wind Speed ~560 km/sec 8/19 @ 7.00p CDT, ~530 km/sec beginning 8/20 @ 8.30a CDT, Peaked 577 km/sec @ 10.559a CDT, ~530 km/sec beginning 11.28a CDT, ~510 km/sec beginning 4.56p CDT Solar Wind Speed >500 km/sec Warning
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Electron and Proton Saturation Conditions
Electron Saturation ~1K pfu beginning 8/20 @ 11.40a CDT to 6.50p CDT
Proton Saturation Normal
Electron Saturation >1K pfu Watch
Connie Howell