DISCOVERED! AURORAS ON A COMET: Researchers have discovered another reason to visit comets: The icebergs from deep space have their own auroras. A paper published this week in Nature Astronomy explains how Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko turns jets of water vapor from the comet's core into a weird form of Northern Lights. FULL STORY
THE SOLAR WIND IS HERE: Earth is entering a stream of solar wind blowing faster than 400 km/s, and this is sparking bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. "What an incredible start to the season!" says Chad Blakley of Lights over Lapland, who sends these pictures from Abisko, Sweden:
"We started seeing auroras mixed with twilight as soon as the sun went down," he says. "Then the sky exploded in a fury of green."
The solar wind stream causing this display is just a minor one. At this time of year, "minor" is all that's required. Auroras love equinoxes. During weeks around the beginning of autumn, cracks open in Earth's magnetic field--a phenomenon called "the Russell-McPherron effect." Even a gentle gust of solar wind can slip through to fuel the Northern Lights.
Stay tuned for more as the solar wind continues to blow. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
AN ASTEROID IS APPROACHING EARTH: There's no danger of a collision, but asteroid 2020 SW will come very close to Earth tomorrow. Hours ago, Marian Urbaník photographed the approaching space rock using a remote-controlled telescope in Australia:
"Right now, the asteroid is in the constellation Pegasus," he says. "At this time tomorrow, it will be racing through the constellation Caelum (the chisel) at 1 degree per minute!"
At closest approach around 11 UT on Sept. 24th, 2020 SW will be just 28,254 km above Australia and New Zealand, closer to Earth's surface than many satellites. Our planet's gravity will bend the asteroid's orbit and fling it harmlessly into space. Au revoir, 2020 SW.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
THE WOLFSONG SPACE PENDANT: Even during wildfire season, cosmic ray measurements must go on. On Sept. 10th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon through the smokey plume of the massive Creek Fire burning many miles away in California's Sierra National Forest. This pendant hitched a ride to the stratosphere, flying 118,800 feet above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling wolfsong pendants to fund their cosmic ray monitoring program. Each piece of lupine jewelry comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Mars Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter