Surprisingly Strong Geomagnetic Storm Sparks Auroras over the USA

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 28, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

SURPRISINGLY STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Knowing that a solar wind stream was heading for Earth, forecasters predicted a geomagnetic storm last night. However, they didn't predict it would be so strong, a G3-class event. During the peak of this surprising space storm, Northern Lights spilled over the Canadian border into more than half a dozen US states.

Visit Spaceweather.com for pictures of the display and updates as the solar wind continues to blow.

Above: Auroras over Fairbanks, Alaska, on Sept. 28, 2017. "Indescribable!" says photographer Sacha Layos. "Truly one of the best shows I've ever seen." Browse the Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery for more sightings.

Solar Wind Stream Sparks Geomagnetic Storm (G2-class)

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 14, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR WIND SPARKS GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Earth is entering a stream of high-speed solar wind flowing from a hole in the sun's atmosphere. First contact with the stream on Sept. 14th produced a moderately strong (G2-class) geomagnetic storm, ongoing at the time of this alert. If the storm continues, high-latitude sky watchers could see auroras after local nightfall on Sept. 14/15.

Visit Spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

Above: Spaceweather.com reader Glen Wurden witnessed the onset of today's solar wind stream from the window seat of an airplane flying over Greenland. Monitor the RealtimeAurora Photo Gallery for more sightings.

Geomagnetic Storm Underway (G2-class)

Source - Space Weather News for May 27, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

G2-CLASS GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A moderately strong G2-class geomagnetic storm is underway on May 27-28 as Earth moves through the wake of a CME that swept past our planet just hours ago. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras, especially in the southern hemisphere where deepening autumn darkness favors visibility.

Check Spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

An Aurora Named "Steve"

Source - Space Weather News for May 21, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

AN AURORA NAMED "STEVE": This weekend, a solar wind storm has sparked sightings of a mysterious filamentary aurora named "Steve" over the badlands of Alberta, Canada. Although the form has been seen for many years dancing among ordinary auroras, researchers do not fully understand what causes it. New clues recently emerged when a European Space Agency satellite flew directly through Steve.

The phenomenon is highlighted on today's edition of  Spaceweather.com.

Massive Explosion on the Sun

Source - Space Weather News for April 19, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

OLD SUNSPOT RETURNS, EXPLODES: Old sunspot AR2644 has returned following a 2-week trip around the backside of the sun--and it is still active. During the late hours of April 18th, the sunspot's magnetic canopy exploded, producing a C5-class solar flare and hurling a spectacularly bright coronal mass ejection (CME) into space. The massive cloud of hot plasma will almost certainly miss Earth, but future explosions could be geoeffective as the sunspot turns toward our planet. Visit  Spaceweather.com for more information and updates.

CHANCE OF MAGNETIC STORMS: NOAA forecasters estimate a 50% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on April 19th and 20th when a high-speed stream of solar wind is due to reach our planet. This could spark bright Northern Lights in the waxing spring twilight around the Arctic Circle. Monitor the aurora gallery for sightings.

Neutrons on a Plane

Source - Space Weather News for March 18, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

NEUTRONS ON A PLANE: Researchers have long known that air travelers are exposed to cosmic rays on board commercial aircraft. Indeed, pilots are classified as "occupational radiation workers." Two days ago, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus took a pair of bubble chambers onboard a flight from Sweden to the USA and detected a significant number of neutrons in the passenger compartment. This confirms that neutrons are an important form of aviation radiation. Read more about it on today's edition of Spaceweather.com

SOLAR WIND ADVISORY: A hole has opened in the sun's atmosphere and it is spewing a stream of solar wind toward Earth. The stream's arrival on March 23rd could spark the first auroras of northern spring. Monitor the realtime aurora gallery for sightings.

Geomagnetic Storm Likely This Week

Source - Space Weather News for Feb. 27, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

SOLAR WIND, INCOMING: A canyon-shaped hole in the sun's atmosphere is spewing a stream of solar wind toward Earth. Polar geomagnetic storms could begin as early as Feb. 28th when the leading edge of the stream reaches our planet. NOAA forecasters estimate a 60% chance of G1-class storms on March 1st when Earth is fully enveloped by the fast-moving solar wind. More information @ Spaceweather.com

SUNSET PLANETS: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look west.  The skinny crescent Moon is approaching Venus for a side-by-side gathering on Feb. 28th. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for sky maps.

Strange Sounds from Auroras Recorded in Sweden

Source -Space Weather News for Dec. 30, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

AURORA SOUNDS IN SWEDEN: The idea that auroras make noise has long been controversial.  However, whole groups of listeners in northern Sweden have recently heard strange sounds during magnetic storms.  On Christmas night, an aurora tour guide recorded the audio using his iPhone--and it sounds like Star Wars blaster fire. 

Visit today's edition of Spaceweather.com for the full story.

HERE COMES THE SOLAR WIND (AGAIN): 2016 might get one more blast of Arctic auroras before the year is over.  Another stream of solar wind is heading for Earth, and it could arrive before New Year's Eve. Monitor the realtime aurora gallery for sightings.

The Biggest Full Moon in almost 70 Years

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

BIGGEST FULL MOON IN ALMOST 70 YEARS:  The full Moon of Nov. 14th will be the biggest and brightest in nearly 70 years. Today's edition of Spaceweather.com offers observing tips and explains why not all full Moons are the same.

ROCKET PHOTOBOMBS AURORA OUTBURST:  A high-speed stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field this weekend, causing bright auroras around the Arctic Circle.  While watching the light show last night in Sweden, a group of tourists witnessed a strange apparition caused by a passing rocket.

Visit Spaceweather.com to see what happens when a rocket engine photobombs the Northern Lights.

Strong Geomagnetic Storm Underway on Oct. 25th

Source - Space Weather News for Oct. 25, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A strong "G3-class" geomagnetic storm is underway on Oct. 25th as Earth enters a fast-moving stream of solar wind. The arrival of the solar wind stream was predicted, but the intensity of the resulting storm is greater than forecast. Tonight, Northern Lights around the Arctic Circle should be bright, and the glow could descend to northern-tier US states as well.

Visit Spaceweather.com for more information.

Here Comes the Solar Wind

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 19, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

HERE COMES THE SOLAR WIND: The Arctic Circle is about to turn green. Forecasters say there is a good chance of bright auroras around the poles on Sept. 20th when a solar wind stream engulfs Earth's magnetic field. Researchers have long known that auroras favor equinoxes. The timing of the  stream could scarcely be better as it is expected to arrive only two days before the beginning of northern autumn.

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

Spherical Images of Earth from the Edge of Space

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 11, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

CHANCE OF STORMS:  A solar wind stream traveling ~550 km/s is expected to engulf Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of Sept. 11th.  Its arrival could spark polar geomagnetic storms and high-latitude auroras on Sept. 11th and 12th. Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates.

SPHERICAL IMAGES FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE:  Last week, a pair of space weather balloons were launched from opposite sides of the USA to measure cosmic rays in the atmosphere.  During the flights, a spherical camera captured unique images of Earth from the stratosphere. Click here to experience a fully-interactive, spinnable, zoomable view of the Atlantic Coast from an altitude of 108,000 feet.  First-look results from the radiation experiment may be found on http://spaceweather.com

Asteroid buzzes Earth, then flies by the Moon

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 7, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

ASTEROID DOUBLE FLYBY:  On Sept. 7th, a newly discovered asteroid about the size of a large grey whale flew over the south pole of Earth only 25,000 miles away. For scale, that's only a few thousand miles above the orbits of typical geosynchronous satellites. After the Earth flyby, the space rock turned and headed in the general direction of the Moon, executing a wider flyby of 179,000 miles on Sept. 8th. Where will this asteroid go next?  Visit http://spaceweather.com for answers and photos of today's encounter with Earth.

BRIGHT AURORAS:  A broad solar wind stream hit Earth on Sept. 1st, sparking a display of bright auroras around the Arctic Circle that is only now fully subsiding.  Did you miss it?  Browse our Aurora Photo Gallery for highlights.

Listen: Eerie Sounds from Auroras on Jupiter

Source - Space Weather News for Sept. 5, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A G1-class geomagnetic storm is underway on Sept. 5th as Earth moves through a broad stream of solar wind. This is the same stream that sparked bright auroras around both poles (and some US states) over the weekend. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for photos and updates.

EERIE SOUNDS FROM AURORAS ON JUPITER: On Aug. 27th, NASA's Juno spacecraft swooped low over the poles of Jupiter.  Not only did the spacecraft snap incredible photos of the most powerful auroras in the solar system, but also it recorded some strange sounds.

Listen to them on today's edition of Spaceweather.com.

Auroras Mixing with Twilight around the Arctic Circle

Source - Space Weather News for Aug. 23, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

AURORAS VS. TWILIGHT: A G1-class geomagnetic storm on Aug. 23-34 has sparked late summer auroras around the Arctic Circle, mixing twilight-blue with aurora-green.  It's a palette of rare beauty, which you can only see at this time of year.  Visit Spaceweather.com for photos and updates about the ongoing storm.

A SPACE WEATHER BALLOON OVER THE ANDES: Over the past three days, SpaceWeather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus have launched multiple space weather balloons from sites spanning 3 countries, two continents, and more than 10,000 miles.  It's a giant radiation experiment to measure how well Earth's atmosphere protects us from cosmic rays.  A highlight so far comes from Chile, where a balloon was launched near the South Atlantic Anomaly. Radiation measurements have not yet been reduced, but photography of the space weather payload soaring more than 120,000 feet over the Andes is spectacular. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for pictures and more information about this experiment.

Mother's Day Geomagnetic Storm

Source - Space Weather News for May 8, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

MOTHER'S DAY GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Surprise! Sunday, May 8th, began with a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm that sparked beautiful auroras around both poles.  Northern Lights were spotted in at least half a dozen US states. Meanwhile, at the other end of the planet, Southern Lights lit up the skies and snowy landscape of Antarctica. 

Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and more information about this event.


Credit Space Weather News / Rocky Raybell - Keller, Washington

Unexpected Geomagnetic Storm on March 11th

Source - Space Weather News for March 11, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

UNEXPECTED GEOMAGNETIC STORM:  Earlier today, the outskirts of a CME previously expected to miss Earth instead hit. The impact sparked a G2-class geomagnetic storm and bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. At the time this alert is being written, the storm is still in progress. Visit Spaceweather.com for updates.

AVIATION RADIATION EXPERIMENT: En route to observe the March 9th total eclipse in Indonesia, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus conducted an unusual experiment in aviation radiation. Their plane flew a great circle around the Pacific Ocean, skirting the Arctic Circle and crossing the equator in a relatively short period of time. This allowed them to take a snapshot of onboard cosmic radiation doses over a wide range of latitude. Visit Spaceweather.com for results.

Comet Catalina's Closest Approach to Earth

Source - Space Weather News for Jan 17, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

COMET CATALINA: This weekend, Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10) is making its closest approach to Earth, only 67 million miles away. The beautiful green comet is only barely visible to the naked eye, but it is an easy target for backyard telescopes and digital cameras as it passes through the handle of the Big Dipper. Visit Spaceweather.com for photos and finder charts.

MINOR STORM WARNING: NOAA forecasters say there is a 45% chance of minor geomagnetic storms on Jan. 19th when a CME is expected to sideswipe Earth's magnetic field.  Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).

Shattered comet sparks weekend meteor shower

Source - Space Weather News for Jan. 3, 2016: http://spaceweather.com

QUADRANTID METEOR SHOWER:  Earth is about to pass through a narrow stream of debris from shattered comet 2003 EH1, source of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Monday morning, Jan. 4th during the hours around 3 a.m. ET (0800 UT). The timing favors observers in North America who could see dozens of meteors per hour flowing from a radiant near the North Star. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information.

GEOMAGNETIC STORM POSSIBLE ON JAN. 3-4:  NOAA analysts say a CME is heading toward Earth and could deliver a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field during the next 24 hours. The impact is expected to spark minor to moderate geomagnetic storms on Jan. 3rd and 4th.  Aurora alerts are available from Spaceweathertext.com

Mystery Space Junk to hit Earth on Nov. 13th

Source - Space Weather News for Nov. 12, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

MYSTERY SPACE JUNK: On Friday the 13th, a bright flash of light will appear in the noontime sky off the coast of Sri Lanka. The explosion will mark the disintegration of a piece of space junk, apparently hollow, returning to Earth from a translunar orbit.  At the moment, no one knows what the incoming object is, although much speculation has focused on spent rocket shells and lunar modules from the Apollo program. 

Visit Spaceweather.com for  more information.

GLANCING-BLOW CME: A coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on Nov. 9th is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field later today, Nov. 12th, sparking polar geomagnetic storms.

Aurora alerts are available from http://spaceweathertext.com (text) and http://spaceweatherphone.com (voice).