Active conditions — watch the sun
Unsettled geomagnetic activity. Aurora possible at high latitudes.
Peak 24h · B5.5
Active
10.0 p/cm³ · Moderate
Solar X-ray flux
6 h · GOES long channel
Kp forecast
Next 72 h · NOAA predicted
Coronal mass ejections
- No impactLaunched 4d ago
428 km/s, glancing blow (17° outside cone) — arrival in ~97 h, expected Kp ≈ 1.6 (none).
Faint CME first seen to the NW by SOHO LASCO C2 beginning at 2026-09-11T17:12Z, as well as by SOHO LASCO C3 in later frames. This CME is too faint to be seen in STEREO A COR2 and is obscured by the pylon in GOES CCOR-1. The source of this event is faint field line movement seen beyond the NW limb in SDO AIA 171 beginning at approx. 2026-09-11T15:48Z.
Chance24%Speed428 km/sArrives4d - No impactS11W38Launched 1d ago
744 km/s, glancing blow (16° outside cone) — arrival in ~60 h, expected Kp ≈ 2.5 (none).
CME first seen to the E in STEREO A COR2 starting at 2026-09-14T11:08Z. It is also seen to the W in GOES CCOR-1. This CME is covered by a data gap in SOHO LASCO C2/C3 in real time. The source of this CME is an eruption centered around AR 14528 (S11W38) best seen in GOES SUVI 284 beginning around 2026-09-14T10:00Z. Field line movement can be seen accompanied by brightening and ejecta. Post-eruptive arcades can also be seen in SDO AIA 193. There seems to be a northwestward deflection from the location of the source. There are two large coronal holes (a northern and a southern one) nearby, possibly responsible for this deflection.
Chance21%Speed744 km/sArrives3d - GlancingS10W10Launched 1d ago
1305 km/s, glancing blow (16° outside cone) — arrival in ~38 h, expected Kp ≈ 3.8 (glancing).
CME first seen to the West by SOHO LASCO C2 beginning at 2026-09-13T19:48Z, as well as by SOHO LASCO C3 and GOES CCOR-1. This CME is not seen in STEREO A COR2 due to a data gap beginning at 2026-09-13T19:23Z. The source of this event is a center disk filament eruption beginning at approx. 2026-09-13T18:48Z best seen in SDO AIA and STEREO A COR2 304, centered at approx. S10W10. This filament appears to be deflected towards the NW, which is supported by dimming seen moving towards the NW, expanding to approx. N10W30 as seen in SDO AIA 193. This eruption is close to a large coronal hole which may contribute to the deflection.
Chance19%Speed1305 km/sArrives38h - No impactS10W10Launched 1d ago
645 km/s, glancing blow (17° outside cone) — arrival in ~68 h, expected Kp ≈ 2.1 (none).
Faint CME first seen to the West by SOHO LASCO C2 beginning at 2026-09-13T21:12Z, as well as by SOHO LASCO C3 and GOES CCOR-1 in later frames. This event is not seen in STEREO A COR2 due to a data gap which began at 2026-09-13T19:23Z. The source of this CME is likely outflow following an earlier filament eruption beginning at 2026-09-13T18:48Z centered at approx. S10W10 as seen in SDO AIA 193 and 304. This CME is likely deflected to the NW due to proximity to a large coronal hole.
Chance15%Speed645 km/sArrives3d - No impactLaunched 4d ago
404 km/s, glancing blow (20° outside cone) — arrival in ~103 h, expected Kp ≈ 1.4 (none).
CME seen to the southwest in SOHO LASCO C2/C3. The CME is not clearly visible in STEREO A COR2. The CME is not seen in GOES CCOR-1 imagery due to Earthshine. The source is not clear.
Chance14%Speed404 km/sArrives4d - No impactLaunched 2d ago
295 km/s, glancing blow (23° outside cone) — arrival in ~141 h, expected Kp ≈ 1.0 (none).
CME first seen to the W in STEREO A COR2 starting at 2026-09-13T10:23Z and fades before leaving the FOV of STEREO A COR2. This feature is not see in SOHO LASCO C2/C3 or in GOES CCOR-1. The source is likely related to field line movement seen beyond the WNW limb in STA EUVI 195 beginning after 2026-09-13T08:00Z.
Chance6%Speed295 km/sArrives6d
Satellite drag (LEO)
Elevated drag
Mild thermospheric heating. Drag is slightly above baseline — operators may schedule small reboost burns.
Impact
- Affected altitudesNoticeable below ~500 km.
- ISSRoutine; may consume slightly more reboost propellant.
- LEO constellationsDecay ~10–20% above baseline.
What this means for you
Plain-language impact for the people who care.
GPS users
Sub-meter accuracy as usual.
Quiet ionosphere. High-precision survey GPS works at full accuracy.
Aviation (polar routes)
Polar HF and GPS are operating normally.
No advisory in effect for trans-polar flights.
Amateur radio (HF)
HF propagation conditions normal.
No advisories. Propagation determined by season + time of day as usual.
Power grid
No grid stress.
Geomagnetic activity is too low to induce significant currents in long transmission lines.
Aurora visibility
Minor activity — high latitudes only.
Look northwards from latitudes above ~60° if skies are dark and clear.
Notable space weather events
Major storms and flares 1997–present
X7.1 flare — Solar Cycle 25 continues intensifying
Another major flare as Solar Cycle 25 approaches its maximum. R3 radio blackout on the daylit hemisphere.
X8.7 flare — largest of Solar Cycle 25
From the same active region AR3664 that caused the May superstorm. Strongest flare in the current solar cycle.
May 2024 Superstorm — G5 extreme
Strongest geomagnetic storm since 2003. Kp=9 for multiple periods. Aurora photographed from Mexico, India, and the Caribbean. Multiple X-class flares from region AR3664.
Geomagnetic storm destroys 40 Starlink satellites
A minor G1 storm increased thermospheric density enough to drag down 40 newly-launched Starlink satellites that hadn't yet raised their orbits. Cost: ~$50 million.
X9.3 flare — strongest in 12 years
Most powerful flare of Solar Cycle 24. Caused R3 radio blackout and was followed by a CME that produced a G4 storm on September 8.
St. Patrick's Day Storm — G4 severe
Strongest geomagnetic storm of Solar Cycle 24. Kp=8. Aurora visible across much of the United States and Europe.
New to space weather?
Quick definitions for the terms on this page
New to space weather?
Quick definitions for the terms on this page
- Kp index
- Geomagnetic disturbance 0–9. 5+ is storm-level.
- Flare class
- A→X, each 10× stronger. M/X can disrupt radio.
- Solar wind
- Plasma speed from the sun. >500 km/s drives aurora.
- R-scale
- Radio blackout level (R1–R5), triggered by M+ flares.
