A NEW SUNSPOT: A sunspot is emerging in the sun's northern hemisphere. Its magnetic polarity identifies it as a probable member of new Solar Cycle 25. This is the second Solar Cycle 25 sunspot we've seen this month, continuing a trend of low but intensifying Cycle 25 activity. The next solar cycle is coming, after all.

POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS: The finest outbreak of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) in decades is still going strong. "We witnessed a wonderful display this evening, Jan. 8th," reports Alex Conu, who saw the clouds drawing a crowd in Oslo, Norway:

"The cloud's bright pastel colors looked fabulous alongside Venus in the evening sky," he says.

Polar stratospheric clouds are rare. Normally, the stratosphere has no clouds at all. A few times each winter, however, icy clouds form when the temperature in the stratosphere drops below -85C. Such staggeringly-low temperatures are required to help sparse water molecules stick together. This winter, the clouds have been appearing daily since late December, a sign of unusually cold conditions in the stratosphere.

Stratospheric clouds are widely regarded as the most beautiful clouds on Earth. Because of their intense colors (caused by high-altitude sunlight hitting tiny ice crystals), novice sky watchers sometimes mistake the clouds for auroras. This picture from P-M Hedén of Tänndalen, Sweden, shows why:

"On Jan. 4th, the colors got so strong that the snow turned red," marvels Hedén. "I have been seeing these crazy displays at both sunrise and sunset from my cabin in the Swedish mountains."

Stay tuned for updates as the outbreak continues.

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SILK SPACE ROSE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY: Valentine's Day is coming, and nothing says "I love you" like a silk rose from the edge of space. On Jan. 4, 2020, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched their first cosmic ray balloon of 2020. This rose went along for the ride, traveling 111,424 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:

You can have it for $116.65. The students are selling Valentine's space roses to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each silk bloom comes with a greeting card showing the rose in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Also included are the glass dome, wooden base, and an LED light kit to make your rose glisten like the stars.

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ELECTRICITY SURGES THROUGH THE SOIL OF NORWAY: On Jan. 6th, something unexpected happened in the soil of northern Norway. "Electrical currents started flowing," reports Rob Stammes, who monitors ground currents at the Polarlightcenter geophysical observatory in Lofoten. This chart recording shows the sudden surge around 1930 UT:

"It seemed to be some kind of shockwave," says Stammes. "My instruments detected a sudden, strong variation in both ground currents and our local magnetic field. It really was a surprise."

NASA's ACE spacecraft detected something as well. About 15 minutes before the disturbance in Norway, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth abruptly swung around 180 degrees, and the solar wind density jumped more than 5-fold. Earth may have crossed through a fold in the heliospheric current sheet--a giant, wavy membrane of electrical current rippling through the solar system. Such crossings can cause these kind of effects.

While currents flowed through the ground, auroras filled the sky. Rayann Elzein photographed the corresponding outburst of lights from Utsjoki, Finland:

"What a surprise!" says Elzein. "The auroras were sudden and dynamic, with fast-moving green needles and several purple fringes!"

The auroras and ground currents were caused by the same thing: Rapidly changing magnetic fields. High above Earth's surface, magnetic vibrations shook loose energetic particles, which rained down on the upper atmosphere, creating auroras where they struck. Just below Earth's surface, magnetic vibrations caused currents to flow, triggering Rob Stammes' ground sensors.

"We couldn't see the auroras in northern Norway because of cloud cover," says Stammes, a little ruefully. "We had to be satisfied with the electricity underfoot."

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