Surprise! Earth Day Aurora Storm

Source - Space Weather News for April 22, 2017: http://spaceweather.com

EARTH DAY AURORA STORM: Last night, Northern Lights descended into the United States as far south as Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington, kicking off an unexpected display of bright auroras for Earth Day. What happened?  A CME that was supposed to miss Earth apparently hit instead, surprising forecasters. Geomagnetic storms are still underway as April 22nd unfolds; high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for midnight auroras on April 22-23. Visit  Spaceweather.com for updates.

WEEKEND METEOR SHOWER: The auroras tonight may be spiced by an occasional flash of light.  Earth is entering a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher, source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower. Dark sky observers could see 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour shooting out of the constellation Lyra.  Sky maps and observing tips @ Spaceweather.com.

Source - Space Weather News for April 20, 2015: http://spaceweather.com

High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras this week when a solar wind stream and a faint CME are expected to hit Earth's magnetic field in quick succession.  NOAA forecasters estimate a 45% to 65% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on April 21-22.

At the same time, Earth will be passing through a stream of debris from Comet Thatcher, source of the annual Lyrid meteor shower.  Sky watchers are already seeing a smattering of late-night fireballs as Earth approaches the diffuse core of the debris stream.  Meteor rates are expected to crest on April 22-23 with as many as 20 Lyrids per hour.

Visit http://spaceweather.com for updates and observing tips.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower - 2012

Source - Space Weather News for April 21, 2012: http://spaceweather.com

LYRID METEOR SHOWER: The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend on the night of April 21-22 when Earth passes through a stream of debris from ancient Comet Thatcher. Usually the shower is mild (10-20 meteors per hour) but unmapped filaments of dust in the comet's tail sometimes trigger outbursts ten times stronger. This year's peak coincides with a new Moon, so lunar interference will not be a problem.

The promise of a good display has prompted NASA to plan an unusual 3D meteor photography experiment combining observations from the ground, a research balloon, and the International Space Station.  More information, observing tips, and live audio from a meteor radar are available on today's edition of http://SpaceWeather.com