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STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM PREDICTED: A CME hurled into space by today's X4.5-class solar flare will graze Earth on Sept. 16th, according to a NASA model. NOAA forecasters are predicting a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm when the CME arrives. During G3 storms, auroras can sometimes be seen with the naked eye from mid-latitudes--e.g., as far south as California, Missouri and Colorado in the USA. Pro tip: Get away from city lights! Aurora alerts: SMS Text
SIGNIFICANT X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE: New sunspot AR3825 erupted again today, producing a very strong X4.5-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Click to view a movie of the flare
Radiation from the flare ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere, resulting in a deep shortwave radio blackout over South America and the mid-Atlantic Ocean: map. Ham radio operators and mariners may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 30 MHz for as much as 30 minutes after the flare's peak (1529 UTC).
The explosion also hurled a CME into space, and a NASA model confirms that it has an Earth-directed component. Strong G3-class geomagnetic storms are possible when the CME grazes Earth on Sept. 16th. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Warren Spreng of Mason, Ohio; from Thierry Legault of Paris, France; from Steve Godbout of Quebec City, Quebec
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EARTH'S RING CURRENT IS LEAKING: During the strong (G3) geomagnetic storm of Sept. 12th, Jeffery Dixon looked up from the Agawa Bay in Ontario, Canada, and saw a red band stretching across the sky. It was a sign that Earth's ring current had sprung a leak:
"I'm not sure if it was aurora, STEVE or airglow," says Dixon.
Actually, none of the above. Dixon photographed an SAR arc. SAR arcs were discovered in 1956 at the beginning of the Space Age. At first, researchers didn’t know what they were and unwittingly gave them a misleading name: "Stable Auroral Red arcs." However, they are not auroras; the red glow comes from Earth's ring current system.
Yes, Earth has rings. Unlike Saturn's rings, which are vast disks of glittering ice, Earth's rings are made of electricity--a donut-shaped circuit carrying millions of amps around our planet.During strong geomagnetic storms, thermal energy from the rings can leak onto the atmosphere below, imprinting a red glow among the auroras.
On Sept. 12th, SAR arcs were seen from many locations including Pennsylvania, Germany, California and Colorado. Browse the gallery for more.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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"HAND OF APOLLO" STAR TREK CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT: You can't buy this on Amazon. The Hand of Apollo Christmas Ornament is only available from the Earth to Sky Store. On Aug. 15, 2024, it flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $127.95. This ornament depicts the iconic opening scene from original Star Trek series episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" first aired in 1967. Near the planet Pollux III, the Enterprise was held immobile by an energy field shaped as a human hand. It belonged to a being claiming to be the Greek god Apollo. This will look far out on your Christmas tree this December.
The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space ornaments to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Don't wait for Christmas--get yours now!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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Every night, a network of
NASA all-sky cameras scans the skies above the United States for meteoritic fireballs. Automated software maintained by NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office calculates their orbits, velocity, penetration depth in Earth's atmosphere and many other characteristics. Daily results are presented here on Spaceweather.com.
On Sep 14, 2024, the network reported 10 fireballs.
(9 sporadics, 1 Sept. epsilon Perseid)
In this diagram of the inner solar system, all of the fireball orbits intersect at a single point--Earth. The orbits are color-coded by velocity, from slow (red) to fast (blue). [Larger image] [movies]
Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (
PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding
new ones all the time.
On September 14, 2024 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.
 |
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: | Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) |
| 2024 RX7 | 2024-Sep-09 | 13.2 LD | 12.5 | 22 |
| 2024 QS | 2024-Sep-09 | 12.1 LD | 9.3 | 42 |
| 2024 RN1 | 2024-Sep-09 | 3.6 LD | 16.6 | 20 |
| 2024 RK8 | 2024-Sep-09 | 3.7 LD | 5.5 | 16 |
| 2024 RE1 | 2024-Sep-09 | 9 LD | 13.2 | 28 |
| 2023 SP2 | 2024-Sep-09 | 15.3 LD | 4.2 | 8 |
| 2024 RJ | 2024-Sep-09 | 5.3 LD | 11.9 | 18 |
| 2024 RS16 | 2024-Sep-09 | 0.7 LD | 11.5 | 5 |
| 2024 PM6 | 2024-Sep-09 | 14 LD | 9 | 53 |
| 2024 RN3 | 2024-Sep-09 | 1.8 LD | 9.2 | 18 |
| 2024 RH13 | 2024-Sep-10 | 16.8 LD | 7.1 | 12 |
| 2024 RG7 | 2024-Sep-10 | 19.7 LD | 12.5 | 43 |
| 2024 RA14 | 2024-Sep-10 | 3.4 LD | 11.8 | 36 |
| 2024 RJ12 | 2024-Sep-10 | 1.8 LD | 5.4 | 10 |
| 2024 RW13 | 2024-Sep-10 | 1.1 LD | 22.3 | 14 |
| 2024 RH | 2024-Sep-10 | 16.7 LD | 11.4 | 27 |
| 2024 RM3 | 2024-Sep-10 | 4.8 LD | 6.2 | 18 |
| 2024 RX13 | 2024-Sep-11 | 0.2 LD | 5.6 | 2 |
| 2024 RY3 | 2024-Sep-11 | 3.5 LD | 14.1 | 14 |
| 2024 RW4 | 2024-Sep-11 | 8.6 LD | 5.1 | 37 |
| 2016 TU19 | 2024-Sep-11 | 13.2 LD | 10.1 | 47 |
| 2024 RO1 | 2024-Sep-11 | 9.1 LD | 9.4 | 24 |
| 2024 RM16 | 2024-Sep-11 | 6.7 LD | 11.6 | 21 |
| 2024 RL8 | 2024-Sep-11 | 1.1 LD | 13.3 | 11 |
| 2024 RH2 | 2024-Sep-12 | 7.8 LD | 4.2 | 35 |
| 2024 QS1 | 2024-Sep-12 | 12.1 LD | 14.3 | 135 |
| 2024 RT12 | 2024-Sep-12 | 10.2 LD | 7.4 | 22 |
| 2024 RL16 | 2024-Sep-12 | 19.4 LD | 5 | 22 |
| 2024 RF3 | 2024-Sep-12 | 4.7 LD | 6.5 | 12 |
| 2024 RL4 | 2024-Sep-12 | 12.6 LD | 16.8 | 24 |
| 2024 RB11 | 2024-Sep-13 | 4.8 LD | 10.2 | 14 |
| 2024 RZ10 | 2024-Sep-13 | 14 LD | 10.9 | 34 |
| 2024 RL10 | 2024-Sep-14 | 3.9 LD | 5.7 | 11 |
| 2024 RB16 | 2024-Sep-14 | 18.4 LD | 7.5 | 23 |
| 2024 RB13 | 2024-Sep-14 | 5.5 LD | 9.8 | 8 |
| 2024 RN16 | 2024-Sep-14 | 4.4 LD | 29.1 | 34 |
| 2024 RK13 | 2024-Sep-14 | 2.7 LD | 5.6 | 7 |
| 2024 RT3 | 2024-Sep-15 | 16.3 LD | 9.6 | 22 |
| 2024 RM10 | 2024-Sep-15 | 5.2 LD | 6.6 | 24 |
| 2024 RQ5 | 2024-Sep-15 | 1.1 LD | 5.9 | 9 |
| 2024 RS4 | 2024-Sep-15 | 6.5 LD | 10.5 | 19 |
| 2019 DJ1 | 2024-Sep-15 | 10.4 LD | 4.9 | 15 |
| 2024 RQ | 2024-Sep-16 | 1.4 LD | 6.7 | 33 |
| 2024 ON | 2024-Sep-17 | 2.6 LD | 8.9 | 279 |
| 2024 RY10 | 2024-Sep-17 | 4.6 LD | 5.3 | 16 |
| 2024 RR16 | 2024-Sep-17 | 15.2 LD | 8.6 | 17 |
| 2024 RZ13 | 2024-Sep-18 | 16.6 LD | 8.7 | 17 |
| 2013 FW13 | 2024-Sep-18 | 8.5 LD | 15.6 | 162 |
| 2024 RJ13 | 2024-Sep-18 | 10.6 LD | 13 | 21 |
| 2024 RH8 | 2024-Sep-18 | 8.4 LD | 17.4 | 46 |
| 2022 SW3 | 2024-Sep-19 | 6.8 LD | 9.2 | 37 |
| 2015 SH | 2024-Sep-19 | 11.6 LD | 5.9 | 9 |
| 2024 RJ1 | 2024-Sep-20 | 15.4 LD | 8.9 | 42 |
| 2024 RD15 | 2024-Sep-20 | 18.7 LD | 8.2 | 16 |
| 2024 RH14 | 2024-Sep-20 | 7.2 LD | 11.7 | 19 |
| 2024 RB10 | 2024-Sep-20 | 19 LD | 12.8 | 79 |
| 2024 QV5 | 2024-Sep-20 | 13.9 LD | 10.6 | 35 |
| 2023 RX1 | 2024-Sep-20 | 10.1 LD | 1.1 | 3 |
| 2024 RB22 | 2024-Sep-20 | 8.6 LD | 2.8 | 45 |
| 2018 VG | 2024-Sep-20 | 13.4 LD | 7.3 | 12 |
| 2024 RY15 | 2024-Sep-21 | 2.4 LD | 13.6 | 26 |
| 2024 RZ21 | 2024-Sep-21 | 11.7 LD | 18 | 36 |
| 2020 GE | 2024-Sep-24 | 1.7 LD | 2.2 | 8 |
| 2024 RO11 | 2024-Sep-24 | 19.5 LD | 19.3 | 40 |
| 2024 RK7 | 2024-Sep-25 | 17.8 LD | 6.3 | 33 |
| 2024 RW25 | 2024-Sep-27 | 16.1 LD | 9.8 | 26 |
| 2024 RP15 | 2024-Sep-27 | 17.5 LD | 9.9 | 30 |
| 2011 ST12 | 2024-Sep-27 | 17.6 LD | 7.4 | 19 |
| 2024 RN15 | 2024-Oct-01 | 8.4 LD | 7.2 | 28 |
| 2024 RO2 | 2024-Oct-02 | 4.2 LD | 9.2 | 35 |
| 2024 RJ16 | 2024-Oct-02 | 18.2 LD | 6.9 | 24 |
| 2023 GM1 | 2024-Oct-05 | 15.4 LD | 5.2 | 13 |
| 2014 VA | 2024-Oct-05 | 18.1 LD | 6.3 | 46 |
| 2022 SU21 | 2024-Oct-06 | 17.5 LD | 21.1 | 45 |
| 671076 | 2024-Oct-07 | 12.8 LD | 8.6 | 120 |
| 2016 JG38 | 2024-Oct-08 | 13.2 LD | 12 | 56 |
| 2018 QE | 2024-Oct-09 | 1.7 LD | 4.4 | 10 |
| 363027 | 2024-Oct-12 | 9.3 LD | 16.6 | 419 |
| 2020 GE1 | 2024-Oct-12 | 20.1 LD | 4.3 | 14 |
| 2022 UX1 | 2024-Oct-12 | 19.9 LD | 9.9 | 9 |
| 2008 UU95 | 2024-Oct-12 | 13.5 LD | 15.6 | 66 |
| 2021 TK11 | 2024-Oct-14 | 8 LD | 10.6 | 7 |
| 2022 TB41 | 2024-Oct-15 | 10 LD | 6 | 4 |
| 2019 UH14 | 2024-Oct-17 | 8.3 LD | 10.4 | 62 |
| 2015 HM1 | 2024-Oct-24 | 14.4 LD | 10.9 | 32 |
| 363305 | 2024-Oct-24 | 11.8 LD | 4.9 | 186 |
| 2021 UE2 | 2024-Oct-24 | 13.6 LD | 7.1 | 40 |
| 2023 TG14 | 2024-Oct-24 | 6.6 LD | 6.9 | 24 |
| 2007 UT3 | 2024-Oct-26 | 17.7 LD | 10.4 | 23 |
| 2020 WG | 2024-Oct-28 | 8.7 LD | 9.4 | 160 |
| 2021 CV1 | 2024-Oct-30 | 14.4 LD | 23.6 | 38 |
| 2023 KX3 | 2024-Oct-31 | 18.8 LD | 2.4 | 25 |
| 2022 UD21 | 2024-Oct-31 | 11.6 LD | 11.8 | 27 |
| 2016 VA | 2024-Nov-01 | 1.5 LD | 21.2 | 11 |
| 2023 VS | 2024-Nov-04 | 15.2 LD | 4.3 | 4 |
| 2022 JM | 2024-Nov-06 | 19.7 LD | 6.2 | 6 |
| 2019 WB7 | 2024-Nov-11 | 17.3 LD | 5.7 | 47 |
| 2020 UL3 | 2024-Nov-12 | 4.1 LD | 10.5 | 81 |
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. | | Cosmic Rays in the Atmosphere |
SPACE WEATHER BALLOON DATA: Almost once a week, Spaceweather.com and the students of Earth to Sky Calculus fly space weather balloons to the stratosphere over California. These balloons are equipped with sensors that detect secondary cosmic rays, a form of radiation from space that can penetrate all the way down to Earth's surface. Our monitoring program has been underway without interruption for 7 years, resulting in a unique dataset of in situ atmospheric measurements.
Latest results (July 2022): Atmospheric radiation is decreasing in 2022. Our latest measurements in July 2022 registered a 6-year low:
What's going on? Ironically, the radiation drop is caused by increasing solar activity. Solar Cycle 25 has roared to life faster than forecasters expected. The sun's strengthening and increasingly tangled magnetic field repels cosmic rays from deep space. In addition, solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) sweep aside cosmic rays, causing sharp reductions called "Forbush Decreases." The two effects blend together to bring daily radiation levels down.
.Who cares? Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere, trigger lightning, and penetrate commercial airplanes. According to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan school of public health, crews of aircraft have higher rates of cancer than the general population. The researchers listed cosmic rays, irregular sleep habits, and chemical contaminants as leading risk factors. A number of controversial studies (#1, #2, #3, #4) go even further, linking cosmic rays with cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Technical notes: The radiation sensors onboard our helium balloons detect X-rays and gamma-rays in the energy range 10 keV to 20 MeV. These energies span the range of medical X-ray machines and airport security scanners.
Data points in the graph labeled "Stratospheric Radiation" correspond to the peak of the Regener-Pfotzer maximum, which lies about 67,000 feet above central California. When cosmic rays crash into Earth's atmosphere, they produce a spray of secondary particles that is most intense at the entrance to the stratosphere. Physicists Eric Regener and Georg Pfotzer discovered the maximum using balloons in the 1930s and it is what we are measuring today.
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