MIDSUMMER AURORAS IN THE USA: This morning a fast-moving stream of solar wind hit Earth's magnetic field. First contact produced a G1-class geomagnetic storm and auroras in northern-tier US states visible even through city lights. Philip Granrud sends this report from Montana: "Northern Lights were dancing almost overhead in the city limits of Kalispell just a few hours ago."
" It is rare for us in Montana to have such a beautiful show inside the city limits with all the light pollution, and in this case, wildfire smoke too," he adds. "If you look closely, the street sign in the foreground, Granrud Lane, was named after my family and it just happened to be my Dad's Birthday today. Perfect timing!"
Currently, the solar wind is blowing faster than 600 km/s. If these speeds continue, more geomagnetic storms and high latitude auroras are possible tonight. Get a text alert when auroras appear in your area! Aurora alerts: SMS Text
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RAIKOKE SUNSETS: Over the weekend in DeSoto, Kansas, something strange happened to the sunset: It turned purple. "On Saturday night, I photographed a large dome of pinkish-purple light," reports Doug Zubenel. "Strong crepuscular rays were also visible."
Photo credit: Doug Zubenel of DeSoto, Kansas. August 3, 2019.
Purple sunsets are a sign of volcanic activity. Fine volcanic aerosols in the stratosphere scatter blue light which, when mixed with ordinary sunset red, produces a violet hue.
But which volcano? The answer is probably Raikoke, a volcano in the Kuril islands which erupted with such force on June 22, 2019, that it was seen from the International Space Station. NASA satellites confirm that aerosols from Raikoke reached the stratosphere and they have been circulating around the Northern Hemisphere ever since.
A similar eruption occurred 11 years ago, in Aug. 2008, when Alaska's Kasatochi volcano spewed sulfurous gases into the stratosphere. For months sky watchers witnessed strange sunsets whenever a plume of Kasatochi's emissions drifted overhead. The same thing, apparently, is happening now thanks to Raikoke.
Photo credit: Heiko Ulbricht in the Zittau Mountains of southeastern Germany. July 26, 2019.
Volcanic sunsets have also been seen in Halifax, Nova Scotia; in the Zittau Mountains of Germany; in Joshua Tree, California; in Orange, California.
Purple isn't the only thing to look for, says atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. In addition, he advises, sky watchers should "be alert for a very bright yellow twilight arch, fine cloud structure in the arch seen through binoculars, and long diffuse rays and shadows."
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FLY ME TO THE MOONSTONE: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Nothing says "I love you" like a moonstone from the edge of space. On June 12th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this moonstone wrapped in a sterling silver Celtic love knot 34.1 km (111,877 feet) above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $139.95. The students are selling these pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. Sales support the Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray ballooning program and hands-on STEM research.
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All sales support hands-on STEM education