HI everyone, when I finally checked the LASCO images late yesterday, I discovered there had been quite a large CME on the Western Limb.  As there were several hours of missing images, I wasn't sure when it started, but probably around 17 UTC, as I found evidence of it's beginning on Stereo Behind Cor 2.  (Red image).

This is a monster and it spread out quite fast and I believe it to be the cause of the current small windstorm and some anomolies elsewhere I watch. There is considerable varience of how long a CME takes to hit earth and of course this one is not direct, but since it is on Stereo Behind, I think the edge of this thing could hit us and be responsible for the current wind stream, because there have been no coronal holes of late.

Here's a spaceweather link to a short movie, which works fine on dial up. They have already taken it off their front page.  http://spaceweather.com/images2010/01feb10/cme_c3_big.gif?PHPSESSID=mlcv9j2ra7uhrd6k91fei3tu11

Esu says fleet caused the monster CME, it's pretty large for a sun that is not yet that active. Interestingly the post on spaceweather, before they removed seemed to suggest they were rather curious as they didn't know the cause!

The sun is becoming more active, and I hope Jupiter is also sending some small amounts of stuff.  The AE index is rarely dormant anymore, as a lot of this is getting "in."  We have had for a couple or more, probably more, high proton counts and wind than previously.

Now a short updating on the sun at rise. We had a lot of clouds for a time, but there was a period when the sun was moving back south again, and since I had skipped days, I can't be sure which day, but yesterday and this morning it is moving north again.  i haven't remembered to collect data thru the day very often, but if it's irregular at rise, it is other times too.  However it is coming up pretty consistantly on the days I see it, timewise. I still have a clear horizon view, and it was supposed to rise about 7:08 here in Denver this morning, and it did and very slightly north of yesterday.