Lights Over Lapland has a full catalogue of exciting adventures in Abisko National Park, Sweden! Check out our daytime and evening activities and book your adventure! | | |
NEW SUNSPOTS: Several new sunspots are emerging in both of the sun's hemisphere. Amateur astronomers, here is where to look to witness sunspot genesis. It is too soon to say if these young active regions will eventually pose any threat for flares. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
TONGA VOLCANIC ERUPTION TOUCHED THE MESOSPHERE: When a volcano exploded out of the Pacific Ocean near Tonga on Jan. 15th, scientists immediately realized they were witnessing something special. Little did they know how special. A new analysis of images from Earth-orbiting satellites shows that the plume punched a hole in our atmosphere all the way up to the mesosphere.
"The intensity of this event far exceeds that of any storm cloud I have ever studied," said Kristopher Bedka, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Langley who specializes in studying extreme storms.
Bedka and colleagues combined images from two satellites: NOAA's GOES-17 and Japan's Himawari-8, both of which observed the eruption using similar infrared cameras from different points in geosynchronous orbit. Using the mathematics of stereo geometry, the team calculated that the plume rose to 58 kilometers (36 miles) at its highest point.
For comparison, the largest known volcanic plume in the satellite era before Tonga came from Mount Pinatubo, which spewed ash and aerosols up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) into the air above the Philippines in 1991. The Tonga plume was 1.5 times the height of Pinatubo, making it the tallest of the Space Age.
The extreme height of the Tonga plume means it could potentially affect space weather phenomena such as sprites, airglow, and noctilucent clouds, which also occur in the mesosphere. Indeed, there was a surge of noctilucent clouds after the eruption (possibly coincidental) as well as ripples in the airglow layer over the Pacific Ocean. Tonga was truly out of this world.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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'TONGA SUNSETS' CONTINUE: A month and a half after the Tonga volcano erupted, sky watchers are still seeing unusual sunsets. Petr Horálek sends this picture from Thoddoo Island in the Maldives:
"Yesterday people on the beach experienced a truly colorful sunset," says Horálek. "Since no ordinary dust now appears in the atmosphere over the Maldives, I think this might be caused by the Tonga volcano.
The purple color in Horálek's photo is a classic sign of volcanic sunsets. Fine volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere scatter blue light which, when mixed with ordinary sunset red, produces a purple hue. According to atmospheric scientist Ghassan Taha of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, aerosols from Tonga could stay in the stratosphere for a year or more.
More Tonga sunsets: from Heiko Ulbricht of Altenberg, Saxony, Germany; from Fabiano B. Diniz of Pontal do Paraná, Brazil; from Cassiano Macedo of Sao Paulo, Brazil; from Peter Lowenstein of Mutare, Zimbabwe; from Daniele Gasparri of Atacama, Chile; from Ray Pickard of the Bathurst Observatory, NSW Australia;
THE CRESCENT VENUS PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Crescent Venus Pendant. This one flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon on Jan. 8, 2022:
You can have it for $142.95. The opal crescent is framed by sterling silver with a matching hypoallergenic chain. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere.
Why is it a crescent? Because Venus itself was a crescent on the date of the flight. On Jan. 8, 2022, the second planet was at inferior conjunction with the sun. From Earth it looked like a slender crescent--the most beautiful phase of the Goddess of Love.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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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 Feb 27, 2022, the network reported 6 fireballs.
(6 sporadics)
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 February 28, 2022 there were 2269 potentially hazardous asteroids.
 |
Recent & Upcoming Earth-asteroid encounters: | Asteroid | Date(UT) | Miss Distance | Velocity (km/s) | Diameter (m) |
| 2022 DO2 | 2022-Feb-23 | 1.8 LD | 8.7 | 9 |
| 2022 CK7 | 2022-Feb-23 | 12.2 LD | 9.2 | 40 |
| 2022 BS6 | 2022-Feb-23 | 13.5 LD | 12 | 44 |
| 2022 DJ1 | 2022-Feb-23 | 1.1 LD | 4.4 | 11 |
| 2017 CX1 | 2022-Feb-23 | 15.2 LD | 5 | 8 |
| 2016 QJ44 | 2022-Feb-24 | 19.6 LD | 8.5 | 319 |
| 2022 DY1 | 2022-Feb-24 | 0.6 LD | 14.3 | 9 |
| 2022 DG | 2022-Feb-24 | 5.8 LD | 5.1 | 13 |
| 2022 DH | 2022-Feb-25 | 2.8 LD | 7.1 | 11 |
| 2022 DF | 2022-Feb-25 | 10.5 LD | 7.8 | 46 |
| 2022 DW1 | 2022-Feb-25 | 7.9 LD | 12.9 | 31 |
| 2022 DC | 2022-Feb-25 | 12.2 LD | 6.8 | 34 |
| 2021 QO2 | 2022-Feb-25 | 20 LD | 11 | 65 |
| 2022 DR1 | 2022-Feb-25 | 9.8 LD | 3.4 | 13 |
| 2022 DL1 | 2022-Feb-26 | 1.7 LD | 9.4 | 7 |
| 2022 DD3 | 2022-Feb-26 | 4.9 LD | 4.1 | 9 |
| 2022 DW | 2022-Feb-26 | 4.5 LD | 19.8 | 17 |
| 2022 DT2 | 2022-Feb-26 | 6.9 LD | 13.3 | 27 |
| 2022 DO3 | 2022-Feb-27 | 0.3 LD | 15 | 14 |
| 2022 DA2 | 2022-Feb-27 | 2.7 LD | 26.4 | 19 |
| 2022 DX1 | 2022-Feb-27 | 4.7 LD | 7.6 | 10 |
| 2022 DL | 2022-Feb-27 | 18.8 LD | 12.4 | 43 |
| 2022 DH3 | 2022-Feb-27 | 10.4 LD | 12.4 | 33 |
| 2022 DQ2 | 2022-Feb-28 | 1.2 LD | 20.3 | 32 |
| 2022 DK2 | 2022-Feb-28 | 3.1 LD | 16.6 | 12 |
| 2020 UO4 | 2022-Feb-28 | 18.5 LD | 2.1 | 7 |
| 2022 DQ1 | 2022-Mar-01 | 7.5 LD | 8.5 | 15 |
| 2022 DY2 | 2022-Mar-01 | 1.1 LD | 15.4 | 7 |
| 2022 DA3 | 2022-Mar-01 | 3.5 LD | 10.5 | 10 |
| 2022 DE3 | 2022-Mar-02 | 2 LD | 6.9 | 9 |
| 2022 DM1 | 2022-Mar-02 | 17.9 LD | 6.7 | 17 |
| 2022 DN1 | 2022-Mar-03 | 11.4 LD | 10 | 20 |
| 2022 DK1 | 2022-Mar-03 | 9.7 LD | 6.4 | 23 |
| 2022 DC1 | 2022-Mar-03 | 13.4 LD | 8.3 | 17 |
| 138971 | 2022-Mar-04 | 12.8 LD | 12 | 742 |
| 2021 UL7 | 2022-Mar-04 | 11.5 LD | 2 | 25 |
| 2022 DT3 | 2022-Mar-06 | 9.8 LD | 19.5 | 22 |
| 2022 DO1 | 2022-Mar-06 | 6.6 LD | 13.8 | 15 |
| 2020 DC | 2022-Mar-06 | 3.9 LD | 4.9 | 16 |
| 2022 DH1 | 2022-Mar-07 | 18 LD | 7 | 45 |
| 2022 DS3 | 2022-Mar-09 | 13.3 LD | 3.7 | 15 |
| 2021 EY1 | 2022-Mar-10 | 10.1 LD | 15.5 | 16 |
| 2015 DR215 | 2022-Mar-11 | 17.5 LD | 8.3 | 290 |
| 2022 DX2 | 2022-Mar-13 | 15.8 LD | 12.8 | 39 |
| 2022 DR3 | 2022-Mar-13 | 15.6 LD | 12.4 | 32 |
| 2018 GY | 2022-Mar-13 | 11.9 LD | 10.7 | 43 |
| 2022 BX1 | 2022-Mar-13 | 20.1 LD | 11 | 161 |
| 2022 DP3 | 2022-Mar-15 | 3 LD | 10.8 | 45 |
| 2022 DB2 | 2022-Mar-18 | 11 LD | 8.6 | 52 |
| 2016 FZ12 | 2022-Mar-19 | 2.2 LD | 8.3 | 16 |
| 2022 DX | 2022-Mar-19 | 8.5 LD | 1.5 | 9 |
| 2022 DG3 | 2022-Mar-21 | 18.3 LD | 7.1 | 38 |
| 2020 SQ | 2022-Mar-21 | 2.8 LD | 6 | 12 |
| 2013 BO76 | 2022-Mar-24 | 13.3 LD | 13.8 | 271 |
| 2011 GE3 | 2022-Mar-26 | 7.6 LD | 7 | 22 |
| 2012 FX35 | 2022-Mar-26 | 13.7 LD | 5.9 | 25 |
| 2010 GD35 | 2022-Mar-29 | 17.7 LD | 12.5 | 43 |
| 2020 FW5 | 2022-Mar-30 | 8.9 LD | 13.1 | 27 |
| 2007 FF1 | 2022-Apr-01 | 19.4 LD | 12.8 | 155 |
| 2021 GN1 | 2022-Apr-02 | 14.4 LD | 14.3 | 19 |
| 2016 GW221 | 2022-Apr-02 | 9.8 LD | 5.9 | 41 |
| 2012 TV | 2022-Apr-05 | 19.2 LD | 18.1 | 32 |
| 2020 GH1 | 2022-Apr-09 | 16.8 LD | 7.2 | 28 |
| 2017 TO2 | 2022-Apr-10 | 17.9 LD | 11.6 | 78 |
| 363599 | 2022-Apr-12 | 19.3 LD | 24.5 | 221 |
| 2020 TQ6 | 2022-Apr-18 | 13.4 LD | 15.4 | 43 |
| 2017 UR2 | 2022-Apr-22 | 19.4 LD | 9.3 | 10 |
| 2020 VN1 | 2022-Apr-25 | 19.3 LD | 2.3 | 9 |
| 418135 | 2022-Apr-28 | 8.5 LD | 10.4 | 443 |
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach. | | 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 (Nov. 2021): Our balloons have just measured a sudden drop in atmospheric radiation. It happened during the strong geomagnetic storms of Nov. 3-4, 2021. Here are the data:
This is called a "Forbush decrease," named after American physicist Scott Forbush who studied cosmic rays in the early 20th century. It happens when a CME from the sun sweeps past Earth and literally pushes cosmic rays away from our planet. Radiation from deep space that would normally pepper Earth's upper atmosphere is briefly wiped out.
We have measured Forbush decreases before. For example, here's one from Sept. 2014. The Forbush Decrease of Nov. 3-4, 2021, was the deepest in the history of our 7-year atmospheric monitoring program. Radiation levels in the stratosphere over California dropped nearly 20%, more than doubling the previous record from our dataset.
En route to the stratosphere, our sensors also pass through aviation altitudes, so we can sample radiation where planes fly. This plot shows how the Forbush decrease was restricted to the stratosphere; it did not affect lower levels of the atmosphere:
The dose rates shown above are expressed as multiples of sea level. For instance, we see that boarding a plane that flies at 25,000 feet exposes passengers to dose rates ~10x higher than sea level. At 40,000 feet, the multiplier is closer to 50x. The higher you fly, the more radiation you will absorb.
.Who cares? Cosmic rays are a surprisingly "down to Earth" form of space weather. They can seed clouds, 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. Somewhat more controversial studies (#1, #2, #3, #4) link 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 first graph ("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.
| | The official U.S. government space weather bureau |
| | The first place to look for information about sundogs, pillars, rainbows and related phenomena. |
| | Researchers call it a "Hubble for the sun." SDO is the most advanced solar observatory ever. |
| | 3D views of the sun from NASA's Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory |
| | Realtime and archival images of the Sun from SOHO. |
| | information about sunspots based on the latest NOAA/USAF Active Region Summary |
| | from the NOAA Space Environment Center |
| | fun to read, but should be taken with a grain of salt! Forecasts looking ahead more than a few days are often wrong. |
| | from the NOAA Space Environment Center |
| | the underlying science of space weather |
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