SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS TOMORROW: A stealthy CME might hit Earth's magnetic field on June 12th. Four days ago a magnetic filament on the sun exploded. No CME was observed leaving the blast site, but NOAA forecasters think it might exist anyway--a faint storm cloud moving slowly across the sun-Earth divide. If the CME does exist, its impact could spark minor geomagnetic storms and high-latitude auroras on Wednesday. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS INVADE THE USA: On June 8th and 9th, many people who have never previously heard of "noctilucent clouds" (NLCs) found themselves eagerly taking pictures of them--from moving cars, through city lights, using cell phones and iPads. "I have never seen clouds like this before!" says Tucker Shannon, who took this picture from Corvallis, Oregon:
"I heard that they may have been seeded by meteoroids," says Shannon.
That's correct. NLCs are Earth's highest clouds. Seeded by meteoroids, they float at the edge of space more than 80 km above the planet's surface. The clouds are very cold and filled with tiny ice crystals. When sunbeams hit those crystals, they glow electric-blue.
Noctilucent clouds used to be a polar phenomenon. In recent years, however, researchers have noticed their electric-blue forms creeping south. Is it climate change? Or the solar cycle? No one knows for sure.
This past weekend, even veteran observers were stunned by the clouds' intensity and southern reach. At one point, they were visible in Freedom, Oklahoma (latitude +36.7 N). As far as we know, that is the lowest latitude sighting ever. Other notable low-latitude sightings include San Francisco, California, and the Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah.
Still images of NLCs capture only a fraction of their magic. These small videos recorded by Keven Lapp outside Edmonton, Alberta, show their hypnotic fine-structured rippling motions:
 |  |
"This was one of the largest NLCs that I've ever seen," says Lapp. "The time lapse was taken between 2:40 AM and 3:24 AM local time."
At present, no one can predict exactly when these noctilucent clouds will re-appear. Recent events suggest that even mid-latitude obervers should be alert. Observing tips: Look west 30 to 60 minutes after sunset when the sun has dipped below the horizon. If you see luminous blue-white tendrils spreading across the sky, you may have spotted a noctilucent cloud.
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
FATHER'S DAY GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: What do you get the dad who has everything? Consider a gift from the edge of space! Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the top of Earth's atmosphere onboard a cosmic ray balloon, and they're all 10% off between now and Father's Day (June 16th).
Each gift comes with a unique greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Cosmic ray data collected during the flights form a unique record of radiation in Earth's atmosphere--100% gathered and analyzed by young scientists. All sales support the students and their high-altitude ballooning program. Thanks!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter