GEOMAGNETIC STORMS PREDICTED: Earth is about to enter a series of solar wind streams flowing from northern holes in the sun's atmosphere. As a result, there is a chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms for the next 3 days, especially on Sept. 28th. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
A CRACK IN EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD: You know it's a good geomagnetic storm when *everything* turns green. Sky. Water. Earth. Even the wheels of your Jeep. That's what happened last night in Tromso, Norway:
"It was a great display--our first 'big one' of the season," says photographer Markus Varik.
The outbreak of green occurred during a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Solar wind blowing almost 500 km/s slipped through a crack in Earth's magnetic field, fueling the display. Such cracks form often in the weeks around equinoxes--a phenomenon called "the Russell-McPherron effect."
Varik is an aurora tour guide who normally gets to show these outbursts to dozens of visitors from around the world. Not this time, though. "It was a solitary experience," he says, acknowledging that 2020 will be "a tough and strange year for tourism because of the global pandemic."
Now for the good news: Varik plans to share his views throughout the season on Spaceweather.com. "This photo will not be the last one," he says. "I wish everyone a great year for auroras, and we will see you when we see you." Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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APPROACHING MARS: On Oct. 6th, Earth and Mars will have one of their closest encounters in 20 years. The Red Planet is getting big in the windshield. Thomas Jorgenson of Neenah, Wisconsin, photographed Mars for several hours on Sept. 23rd and assembled the images into an animation emphasizing our approach:
"This is how Mars looked through my 8-inch telescope," says Jorgenson. "The bright white South Polar Cap and Olympus Mons were especially prominent."
For the next two weeks, Mars will get bigger and brighter every night. By Oct. 6th, it will shine brighter than every star in the sky, brighter than Saturn and Jupiter, second only to Venus among the planets. Point your optics here.
Realtime Mars Photo Gallery
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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
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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