MINOR GEOMAGNETIC UNREST: NOAA forecasters say there is a slight chance of minor geomagnetic unrest on April 5th when a solar wind stream is expected to brush against Earth's magnetic field. Unlike some solar wind streams, which hit Earth head-on, this one is flowing mostly north of our planet, probably mitigating its impact. Sometimes, however, a glancing blow by solar wind produces the most interesting effects. Free: Aurora Alerts.
AURORAS VS. TWILIGHT: As northern spring unfolds, long Arctic nights are coming to an end. With this transition comes a rare mixture of colors: twilight blue and aurora green. A tour guide with Explore the Arctic photographed the combination last night Tromsö, Norway:
"It was great to see the auroras at sunset," he says. "The twilight tells us that aurora season is coming to an end--but it's not over yet!"
Soon, the Arctic circle will be awash with almost-constant sunlight, commencing summer vacation for Northern Lights. Fortunately, we still have Antarctica.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
SOLAR WIND FORECAST (UPDATED): A hole in the sun's atmosphere that lashed Earth with high-speed solar wind in mid-March is turning to face our planet again. It is emerging over the sun's eastern limb following a two-week transit around the farside of the sun:
Unlike similar holes near the sun's poles, this hole is particularly geoeffective because it straddles the sun's equator, allowing it to squarely target Earth with a stream of solar plasma. The last time its gaseous material interacted with our planet's magnetic field, spectacular auroras were observed around the Arctic Circle. Similar displays are possible on April 8th or 9th when the solar wind is expected to return. Free: Aurora Alerts.
MOTHER'S DAY IS ONLY 5 WEEKS AWAY: Nothing says "I Love You" like a heart-shaped pendant from the edge of space. On March 17, 2018, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew an array of cosmic ray sensors to the stratosphere onboard a giant helium balloon. This pendant went along for the ride:
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling these pendants as a fund-raiser for their cosmic ray monitoring program--and they make great Mother's Day gifts. All proceeds support atmospheric radiation measurements and hands-on STEM education.
Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All proceeds support hands-on STEM education