SOLAR WIND STREAM GRAZES EARTH: Solar wind spilling from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere is grazing Earth's magnetic field today. The indirect pressure of the gaseous material sparking intermittent auroras around the Arctic Circle, while stopping short of full-fledged geomagnetic storms. Free: Aurora Alerts
GROWING SUNSPOT: Sunspot AR2699 continues to grow, more than doubling in size since it appeared three days ago. This movie from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows recent developments:
The sunspot is crackling with B- and C-class solar flares--relatively minor eruptions having little effect on Earth. If the growth of AR2699 continues apace, stronger flares are possible as the active region turns to face Earth. Free: Solar Flare Alerts
With two primary dark cores larger than Earth and a scattering of moon-sized magnetic condensations stretching more than 100,000 km across the surface of the sun, AR2699 is an easy target for backyard solar telescopes. Got images? Submit them here.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
ROARING BEAVER APPEARS IN NORTHERN LIGHTS: Seeing animals in clouds is a physiological phenomenon called pareidolia. On Feb. 6th, Markus Varik of Tromsø, Norway, experienced auroradolia. "We saw a roaring beaver in the Northern Lights!" he says.
Things got even stranger after that. "The shapes we witnessed were unlike anything I have ever seen before as an aurora tour guide," says Varik. "For about 30 minutes the lights transformed from a beaver to Mother Theresa and many other things. Our guests were as happy as can be!"
Warning: Auroradolia may be contagious. Browse the gallery for more examples.
VALENTINE'S DAY IS NEXT WEEK! These pendants have touched space--and returned to Earth just in time for Valentine's Day. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew a payload-full of heart-shaped Venus pendants to the stratosphere onboard a high-altitude helium balloon. Here's one, 111,550 feet above the Sierras of central California:
With a sterling silver backface that says "I Love You to the Moon and Back," these blue jewels make great Valentine's gifts.
You have have one for $199.95. Each glittering pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Sales of this pendant support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education