QUIET WITH A CHANCE OF STORMS: Geomagnetic activity is subsiding after a G2-class storm rocked Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of Sept. 27th. The show might not be over. NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of more G1- and G2-class storms on Sept. 28th and 29th as our planet continues its transit through a high-speed stream of solar wind. The gaseous material is flowing 600+ km/s from a large hole in the sun's atmosphere. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORA SIGHTINGS: Last night's G2-storm produced "an exceptional display of auroras," reports Rayann Elzein of Utsjoki, Finland. "I could see them even during the bright blue hour just after sunset."
"The sky eventually became dark and more Northern Lights appeared," he says. "One outburst produced extremely fast moving curtains and needles, swirling all around the entire sky into all directions. I honestly don't recall such a powerful show in my life!"
Two countries away in Norway the show was just as good, highlighted by this green vortex above Tromsø:
"The Northern Lights were just great," says photographer Kristin Berg. "They lit up the snowcapped peaks of our nearby mountains. It was a perfect autumn night!"
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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THE PINK AURORA PEARL: Inspired by the color of rare pink auroras, this freshwater pearl flew to the stratosphere on Sept. 25th during a G1-class geomagnetic storm. It hitched a ride onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray balloon, floating 112,205 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $249.95. The students are selling space pearls to support their cosmic ray monitoring program.
Measuring 9 mm in diameter, the Aurora Pearl is mounted on a 925 sterling silver infinity twist and suspended on a matching 17 inch long sterling silver chain. Each pearl 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
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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