All I know is 20 meters was junk yesterday, noisy with bursts of noise across the entire band, some very high in amplitude.
There is a solar wind heading to Earth now too, that could be why.
(fair use applies)
NO STORMS, JUST A LITTLE UNREST: Minor geomagnetic unrest is expected tomorrow,
July 28th, when a narrow stream of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from
a sinuous hole in the sun's atmosphere. Faint auroras might be visible at high latitudes *if* the nearly full Moon is below the horizon.
About the eruption last night, here's what Space Weather says.
(fair use applies)
A CRACK IN EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD: Right now, a minor crack is opening in Earth's magnetic field as our planet makes first contact with a dense stream of solar wind. This could set the stage for high-latitude auroras during the early hours of July 28th.
MERCURY AND A CME: Looking for Mercury? Don't. It's blindingly close to the sun. Today the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) photographed Mercury only 6 degrees from the solar disk. Play the movie and watch a CME target the first planet:
No, the CME didn't actually hit Mercury. Mercury is at the farside of its orbit, preparing to pass behind the sun (astronomers call this "superior solar conjunction"). The narrow CME passed between us and Mercury, creating only the appearance of impact.
At closest approach on Aug. 1st, Mercury will be just 1.7 degrees from the sun. The day before, Mercury will skim the outskirts of the Beehive star cluster. Human eyes cannot see these events, but
coronagraphs can. Join SOHO for
a ringside seat.