SOLAR ECLIPSE THIS WEEKEND: This weekend, on Jan. 6th, the New Moon will pass in front of the sun, producing a partial eclipse visible from coastal China to the Aleutian islands of Alaska. At maximum, 71% of the sun will be covered, turning the solar disk into a deep crescent. Click here for observing tips and a movie of the eclipse zone.
SOLAR WIND IGNITES BIG AURORAS: Earth is entering a stream of solar wind flowing from a large hole in the sun's atmosphere. First contact on Jan. 4th ignited big auroras around the Arctic Circle. Alexander Kuznetsov sends this picture from Rovaniemi, Finland:
"The auroras were really crazy, painting swirls all around the sky above me," says Kuznetsov. "The show lasted for well over 30 minutes with very powerful arches shining across the skies. These were the best auroras I've seen in months!"
Intermittent G1-class geomagnetic storms are in progress as Earth moves deeper into the stream on Jan. 5th. Arctic sky watchers should remain alert for auroras for the rest of the weekend. This stream of solar wind is wide and should influence our planet for the next ~48 hours. Aurora Alerts: SMS text
Realtime Solar Eclipse Photo Gallery
SPACE WEATHER ALERTS--NEW! Spaceweather.com is proud to announce our new and improved space weather alert system. Sign up now and you'll never miss another solar storm in 2019. Subscribers receive instant text messages when there are solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and CMEs about to strike Earth. And if you sign up for the PRO PLAN, you'll receive a type of alert available no where else. Keep reading after the graphic to learn more:
PRO PLAN subscribers get a text message whenever a crack is opening in Earth's magnetosphere. Magnetic cracks are caused by south-pointing magnetic fields ("BsubZ") in the solar wind, which partially cancel Earth's magnetic defenses. Solar wind pours in through these cracks to fuel bright auroras and geomagnetic storms. Veteran aurora chasers know that watching "BsubZ" is the best way to anticipate geomagnetic activity. Now your cell phone can do this job for you, alerting you when cracks are forming in the invisible magnetic field overhead.
To kick off the New Year, we are offering annual plans as low as $49.95. Sign up now and check off that New Year's Resolution: I'll never miss another solar storm.
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery