14 December 2006

I checked the email this morning and found a post from Bruce Kamiat to the Guild of Manhattan Sidewalk Astronomers and New York Sidewalk Astronomers yahoo groups forwarding a Space.com story saying sunspot Group 930 burped again last night and we may see an aurora tonight as a result. I listened to NOAA to check on the weather and got the observing forecast from Clear Sky Clock then emailed Peter and Kin to say that I would be at TotL tonight to see the aurora.

While that was going on I received this email from the NOAA Space Environment Center warning of an impending geomagnetic event.

Space Weather Message Code: WARSUD
Serial Number: 62
Issue Time: 2006 Dec 14 1401 UTC

WARNING: Geomagnetic Sudden Impulse expected
Valid From: 2006 Dec 14 1410 UTC
Valid To: 2006 Dec 14 1445 UTC
IP Shock Passage Observed: 2006 Dec 14 1356 UTC

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.sec.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

It is somewhat amazing to me that they can predict the arrival of one of these things with that degree of specificity.

While I was forwarding that message out to Peter and Kin this message arrived

Space Weather Message Code: SUMSUD
Serial Number: 82
Issue Time: 2006 Dec 14 1425 UTC

SUMMARY: Geomagnetic Sudden Impulse
Observed: 2006 Dec 14 1416 UTC
Deviation: 26 nT
Station: Boulder

NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
www.sec.noaa.gov/NOAAscales

Saying that the event had indeed occurred and within the prediction window. And I never felt a thing.

I happened to be listening to NOAA weather radio at the time and did not notice any change in their signal.

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Observing Location	VP
Observational Period	1030-1045 EST
Atmospheric Conditions	Cloud Cover Clear but very hazy Temperature 50s F Wind Calm Humidity Low Feels Like Mild It is clear out but when I look in the direction of the Sun I can see haze that is not noticeable when looking away from the Sun. The weather is nice now and it is supposed to be mild tonight then a minor cold front will come through tomorrow without rain or much of a temperature drop. It looks like we might be able to see something at the public observing session at Columbia University tomorrow night. Transparency Good Seeing I
Instruments	Canon 15x50 IS binocular w/Baader AstroSolar filter film - Charlie
Observing Party	Charlie Ridgway

Target Sunspots Constellation Oph Category Solar Time yyyymmdd.hhmm 20061214.1030 EST Comments Heliographic Latitude (B0) -0.83° Heliographic Longitude (L0) 327.31° Position Angle (P) +10.44° Carrington rotation number (CR) 2051 The group today appears to have jumped from when I last saw it a couple of days ago. The rotation angle of the Sun makes it look like it is in the northern hemisphere today. There is a little plage between group 930 and the western limb.   Groups Spots R North 0 0 0 South 1 3 13 Total 1 3 13 R = (Groups * 10) + Spots) Group 930 Heliographic Latitude -11° Heliographic Longitude 9° Mcintosh System Dko The main spot is still large and surrounded by a shrinking penumbra. The smaller spots below it are surrounded by a broad penumbra almost as large as that surrounding the main spot. I think there are two spots there but get the impression of looking at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, or an Ω.

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I have a new Birthday Star

Your birthday star is in the constellation Corona Borealis. It has the name ρ (Rho) Coronae Borealis in Johann Bayer's Uranometria star catalog. It is also called 15 Coronae Borealis in the Historia Cœlestis Britannica of John Flamsteed and Edmund Halley. It is called NS 1601+3318 in the NStars database.

It has visual magnitude 5.39 meaning that you could just see this star with the naked eye under the best viewing conditions. It is marked in the center of this star chart, at celestial coordinates (J2000 equinox):

Right ascension	16:1:2.7
Declination	33:18:12.6

This star is 56.9 light years away, which means that the light we see from it today set off on its journey at about the same time that you were born. Come back in a month or two and your birthday star may change, as the light from more distant stars reaches Earth.

This star doesn't rise until 2000 EST so it is doubtful that I will get to see it until sometime next month, by which time I may have another new birthday star.