GEOMAGNETIC STORM FORECAST: A hole in the sun's atmosphere is facing Earth and spewing a stream of solar wind in our direction. Estimated time of arrival: Aug. 27th. Minor G1-class geomagnetic storms and high-latitude auroras are possible when the gaseous material arrives. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
ARCTIC AURORA SEASON BEGINS: They're back. Auroras are reappearing around the Arctic Circle as the Midnight Sun finally dims. "After nearly five months of intense sunlight, the sky above Sweden's Abisko National Park has darkened and Northern Lights have returned," reports Chad Blakley, whose automated webcam captured these auroras just after midnight on August 24th:
"Our first auroras of the season appeared at 12:47 AM and hovered in the sky until 1:12 AM," he says. "The green bands were strong enough to penetrate the twilight that we are still getting from the Midnight Sun. Autumn is just around the corner and, from here on out, every night is going to be better. You can watch the show live all season long on our Lights over Lapland webcam."
In Oulu, Finland, Thomas Kast saw a similar display. "The auroras are still struggling with twilight, but surely it is getting darker just a little bit every day. It's good to have the auroras back!"
These developments set the stage for a good show only a few nights from now. On Aug. 27th and 28th a solar wind stream traveling ~500 km/s will hit Earth's magnetic field, possibly sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Stay tuned for auroras mixed with Arctic twilight. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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VENUS AND MARS IN CONJUNCTION: Today, a spectacular conjunction of Venus and Mars is underway. The two bright planets are less than 1/2 degree apart. This would be a headline event except for one thing: It's happening in the noon sky right beside the blinding sun. Only SOHO can see the close encounter:
Coronagraphs onboard SOHO (short for Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) block the glare of the sun, revealing nearby stars and planets. In addition to Mars and Venus, there is a streak in this image caused by a cosmic ray hitting the coronagraph digital camera's CCD array. It is not a comet.
As they pass by one another, Mars and Venus are swapping sides of the sky. Last month Venus was a morning planet. Now Venus is moving to the evening side of the sun. Mars is doing the opposite. Next month we will see them emerge from the glare--Venus in the evening and Mars in the morning. Meanwhile, enjoy the conjunction.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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YES, THAT'S A REAL PEARL: It's the first pearl in the stratosphere. On Aug. 19, 2019, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon to the edge of space, 104,002 ft high. This sterling silver pearl necklace went along for the ride:
You can have it for $169.95. The students are selling these pearls to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each cultured "space pearl" comes with greeting card showing the necklace in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again. These make great birthday and Christmas gifts.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education