Spooky Eclipse of the Harvest Moon

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 15, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

SPOOKY ECLIPSE OF THE HARVEST MOON:  According to folklore, this Friday's full Moon is the Harvest Moon.  For many observers, the usual luster of the silver orb will be dimmed by a spooky shadow as the Moon experiences a "penumbral lunar eclipse."

Visit http://spaceweather.com for visibility maps and a cool animation.

EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD CAUGHT RINGING LIKE A BELL:  This week a magnetic observatory in Norway recorded almost pure sinusoidal oscillations in Earth's magnetic field--a phenomenon unlike normal geomagnetic storms. The magnetic "ringing" was accompanied by equally sinusoidal electric currents flowing through the ground. The data and underlying physics are highlighted on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

Earth's Magnetic Field is Changing

Source - Space Weather News for May 12, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD IS CHANGING: Earth's magnetic field protects us from stormy space weather and cosmic rays. New data from Europe's SWARM spacecraft show that our planet's magnetic field is changing.  For instance, in recent years magnetism over North America has weakened by 3.5%, while Asia has seen an increase of 2%. Other parts of the world are unsettled as well. Visit Spaceweather.com for the full story.

NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS: Soon, the season for noctilucent clouds over the northern hemisphere will begin.  A sky watcher in Scotland might have spotted the first apparition on May 10th.   Electric-blue clouds are highlighted on today's edition of Spaceweather.com.




Image Source - Space Weather News / ESA

X-Flare Produces 'Magnetic Crochet'

Source - Space Weather News for March 30, 2014: http://spaceweather.com

X-FLARE:  The magnetic canopy of sunspot AR2017 erupted yesterday, March 29th, producing an impulsive X1-class solar flare.  Ionizing radiation from the flare produced electrical currents in Earth's upper atmosphere and a ripple in Earth's magnetic field detected by magnetometers across the dayside of our planet. 

Read more about this rare "magnetic crochet" and the possibility of more X-flares this weekend on today's edition of http://spaceweather.com.

The Sun's Magnetic Field is About to Flip

Source - NASA Science News for August 5, 2013

According to data from NASA-supported observatories, the sun's global magnetic field is about to reverse polarity. This is a sign that Solar Max has arrived.

The complete article can be found here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/05aug_fieldflip/

A companion video is posted below and can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34gNgaME86Y



License: Standard YouTube License

CME and Solar Radiation Storm

Source - Space Weather News for May 22, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

SIGNIFICANT EXPLOSION: A solar radiation storm is in progress on May 22nd following an M5-class solar flare on the sun's western limb.  The explosion not only accelerated a hailstorm of protons toward our planet, but also produced a magnificent CME, which might deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field in the days ahead.

Check http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

CME Impact Sparks Auroras over US States

Source - Space Weather News for March 17, 2013: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Skies over North America turned green for St. Patrick's Day.  A CME impact during the early hours of March 17th sparked auroras in the United States at least as far south as Colorado.  More auroras are possible tonight, mainly over the Arctic, as Earth's magnetic field continues to reverberate from the impact.  Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

Double CME Hits Earth, Sparks Auroras

Source - Space Weather News for June 17, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

As predicted, a double CME hit Earth's magnetic field on June 16th.  The impact strongly compressed Earth's magnetosphere, exposing geosynchronous satellites to solar wind plasma and sparking more than 24 hours of geomagnetic storms.  (The storms are still in progress as this alert is being written during the middle hours of June 17th.) In the United States, Northern Lights have descended as far south as Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota, and the Dakotas.  Southern hemisphere observers are also reporting colorful aurora australis.  Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

AURORA ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are underway? Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Big Sunspot Crackling with Flares and Radio Bursts

Source - Space Weather News for May 9, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

RADIO-ACTIVE SUNSPOT: Huge sunspot AR1476 is crackling with M-class solar flares and appears to be on the verge of producing something even stronger. The sunspot's 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field harbors energy for X-class flares, the most powerful kind.  Radio operators are recording strong bursts of shortwave static from the sunspot as it turns toward Earth. Visit http://spaceweather.com for sample recordings and forecasts.

SUNSPOT TELESCOPE: AR1476 looks magnificent through a properly-filtered telescope. Explore Scientific's White Light Solar Observing System is perfect for sunspot watching, and it's available now in the Space Weather Store: http://www.shopspaceweather.com/explore-scientific-white-light-solar-observer-system.aspx

Geomagnetic Storms Possible on March 11-12

Source - Space Weather News for March 11, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

INCOMING CMEs: One and perhaps two CMEs are expected to hit Earth's magnetic field today. Of particular interest is a CME launched toward Earth by a powerful M8-class eruption on March 10. Forecasters say the cloud could spark minor to severe geomagnetic storms when it arrives on March 11-12. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras tonight. Check http://spaceweather.com for updates.

WHAT DOES A SOLAR FLARE SOUND LIKE? Saturday's M8-class flare hit Earth with a burst of strong shortwave radio emissions. Today's edition of Spaceweather.com features an audio recording of the blast captured by an amateur astronomer in New Mexico.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when geomagnetic storms are in progress? Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Possible Comet Outburst in Progress

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 8, 2010: http://spaceweather.com

POSSIBLE COMET OUTBURST: A comet discovered just a few days ago by amateur astronomers in Japan is gliding by Saturn in the pre-dawn sky. Comet Ikeya-Murakami (C/2010 V1) is not visible to the unaided eye, but observers say it is a fairly easy target for backyard telescopes. Images obtained over the weekend reveal what appears to be an outburst in progress. The comet's coma (atmosphere) bears a striking resemblance to the coma of Comet Holmes, which famously exploded in 2007. Check http://spaceweather.com for photos and more information.

SOLAR ACTIVITY UPDATE: After unleashing one of the brightest X-ray flares in years on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 6th, sunspot 1121 took Sunday off. No strong flares were recorded for the rest of the weekend. Nevertheless, the active region's magnetic field is complex and harbors energy for more eruptions. NOAA forecasters estimate an 85% chance of M-flares during the next 24 hours.

SPACE WEATHER ALERTS: Would you like a call when solar storms hit Earth? Sign up for Space Weather Phone: http://spaceweatherphone.com

Giant Breach in Earth's Magnetic Field Discovered

Source - NASA Science News for December 16, 2008

NASA's five THEMIS spacecraft have discovered a breach in Earth's magnetic field ten times larger than anything previously thought to exist. The size of the opening and the strange way it forms could overturn long-held ideas of space physics.

FULL STORY at

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/16dec_giantbreach.htm?list894285

For more information about space and space exploration, visit our Home page: http://science.nasa.gov