AURORA 'BLASTER FIRE' RECORDED 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. [full story]
SOLAR WIND SPARKS AURORAS: As predicted, Earth is entering a stream of solar wind blowing almost 600 km/s. This is sparking green auroras around the Arctic Circle. Last night in Abisko, Sweden, photographer and tour guide Peter Rosén witnessed the onset of the display from the runners of a dog sled:
"I went out dog sledding with my photo guests from US, Italy and Hong Kong," says Rosén. "The evening started with heavy snow fall but suddenly the sky became clear so my guests could see the aurora the third night in a row. I wish you all a Happy New Year!" Free: Aurora Alerts.
POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS: Earth's stratosphere is normally free of clouds. Not this weekend, though. Observers around the Arctic Circle are reporting an outbreak of brilliantly-colored icy clouds in the typically dry and transparent layer of our planet's atmosphere. Eric Fokke photographed the display on New Years Eve from the Lofoten Islands of Norway:
These icy clouds are a sign of very cold temperatures. For ice crystals to form in the arid stratosphere, temperatures must drop to around -85º C. High-altitude sunlight shining through tiny ice particles ~10µm across produce the characteristic bright iridescent colors.
Once thought to be mere curiosities, some polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) are now known to be associated with the destruction of ozone. Indeed, an ozone hole formed over the UK in Feb. 2016 following an outbreak of ozone-destroying Type 1 PSCs.
These clouds really are as amazing as they look in Fokke's photo. They have much more vivid colors than ordinary iridescent clouds, which form closer to Earth in the troposphere. Once seen, a stratospheric cloud is never forgotten.
Browse the gallery for more sightings as polar winter unfolds:
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Realtime Airglow Photo Gallery