HAVE YOU SEEN A PURPLE SUNSET? Sky watchers are reporting a strange color in the sunset sky: purple. This is a sign of volcanic activity. The Raikoke volcano in the Kirul Islands and the Ulawun volcano in New Guinea have recently spewed sulfurous gases into the stratosphere, altering the palette of sunsets around the world. It's easy to see. Get the full story and observing tips here.
GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: On Aug. 5th, a solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field, sparking G1-class geomagnetic storms and auroras in the USA. It's about to happen again. The same hole in the sun's atmosphere that wind-blasted Earth in early August is facing our planet today:
This is a "coronal hole," a region where the sun's magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape. Gaseous material emerging at 600 to 700 km/s could reach Earth as early as Aug. 31st, although Sept. 1st is more likely.
NOAA forecasters say there is a greater than 35% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms when the solar wind arrives. Auroras will almost certainly be visible around the Arctic Circle with a chance for sightings farther south, including upper-tier US states such as Maine, Minnesota, Montana, and Washington. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
ARCTIC AURORAS: As predicted, a solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field on Aug. 27th. The gentle impact did not spark a geomagnetic storm, but it did create some colorful lights around the Arctic Circle. Alexander Kuznetsov sends this picture from Rovaniemi, Finland:
"Aurora season has started on the Arctic Circle!" says Kuznetsov. "The nights are still pretty bright, and auroras struggled with sunlight from the horizon, but with some patience we got the shot we wanted."
"We decided to experiment a little," he adds. "Kudos to model Saara Rahkamaa who got a bit frozen in the lake water, but did her part well. I myself spent 1.5 hours with my bare feet in the water. Luckily this is as warm as it will be in the Finnish Lapland for 10 months to come. What a great start of the season!"
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
THE ANTARES PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Antares Pendant. 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 ruby-red crystal necklace went along for the ride:
You can have it for $149.95. The students are selling these white gold-plated pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. The glittering Swarovski crystal has a deep ruby hue inspired by the red-supergiant star Antares in Scorpio. Each one comes with greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education