SPOOKY AURORAS TONIGHT? Around the Arctic Circle, Halloween could bring spooky lights to the midnight sky in response to minor geomagnetic activity. At lower latitudes, however, auroras are unlikely. Earth is finally exiting a broad stream of solar wind that has lately excited some of the most spectacular auroras of 2016.
SUNSET PLANETS: When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look southwest. Venus and Saturn have gathered in a loose conjunction just above the rosy glow of sunset. Peter Lowenstein sends this picture from Mutare, Zimbabwe:
"I have been watching Venus and Saturn converge for the past few nights," he says. "Mutare is experiencing a heatwave with temperatures of up to 37 degrees centigrade. Smokey haze from bush fires deepens the natural red of the sunset. It is a beautiful view."
It's about to get even better. On Nov. 1st, a slender crescent Moon will emerge from the glare of the setting sun and move toward the two planets. On Nov. 2nd, Venus, Saturn, and the Moon will form a must-see triangle in the sunset sky. Don't miss it! Sky maps: Nov. 1, Nov. 2.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
THE AURORAS JUST WON'T STOP: Six days after Earth entered a stream of high-speed solar wind ... we're still inside. The solar wind continues to blow faster than 500 km/s on Oct. 31st. Although it is not as gusty as it was during first contact on Oct. 25th, the relentless pressure of the sun's electrically charged wind on Earth's magnetic field is causing the poles to glow with beautiful auroras. Marketa S. Murray sends this picture from Fairbanks, Alaska, on Oct. 29th:
"When you stand there and the whole sky is just dancing overhead, your adrenaline and endorphin get so high," says Murray. "It's mind blowing every time it happens. It never gets old, even for an Alaskan!"
Until Earth fully exits this stream, polar auroras remain likely. A good way to follow the action is to tune into a live webcam in Sweden's Abisko National Park. "We have seen the lights nearly every night in October!" says Chad Blakley of Lights over Lapland, who operates the camera. Watch it now.
Realtime Airglow Photo Gallery