2012 10 26 The Quiet Sun & Bonus Cassini Sees Huge Burp at Saturn After ...

   

Analysis of Solar Active Regions and Activity

Solar activity has been low.  Region 1598 (S12E29) has

produced numerous C-class events throughout the period, and remains

the most magnetically complex region on the disk.  Although slight

decay was noted in Region 1598s trailer spots, it still maintains a

Delta magnetic configuration.  Region 1596 (N08W08) is moderately

sized with some magnetic complexity, but did not produce any flares

during the period. The other regions either remained stable or were

decaying.

Solar Activity Forecast:  Solar activity is expected to be

moderate to high with occasional M-class events, and a slight chance

for an isolated X-class event for the next three days (25 - 27 Oct)

with Region 1598 the most likely source.

Geophysical Activity Forecast:  The geomagnetic field is

expected to be quiet for the next three days (25 - 27 Oct).

III.  Event Probabilities 25 Oct-27 Oct

Class M    60/60/60

Class X    10/10/10

Proton     05/05/05

PCAF       green

NASA Spacecraft Sees Huge Burp at Saturn

After Large Storm10.25.12 NASA's Cassini spacecraft has tracked the aftermath of a rare massive storm on Saturn. Data reveal record-setting disturbances in the planet's upper atmosphere long after the visible signs of the storm abated, in addition to an indication the storm was more forceful than scientists previously thought.

Data from Cassini's composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) instrument revealed the storm's powerful discharge sent the temperature in Saturn's stratosphere soaring 150 degrees Fahrenheit (83 kelvins) above normal. At the same time, researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., detected a huge increase in the amount of ethylene gas, the origin of which is a mystery. Ethylene, an odorless, colorless gas, isn't typically observed on Saturn. On Earth, it is created by natural and man-made sources.