GEOMAGNETIC UNREST: NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of geomagnetic unrest today, Dec. 30th, when a minor stream of solar wind hits Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a small hole in the sun's atmosphere. Arctic sky watchers should be alert for auroras, especially during the hours around local midnight. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS OVER ICELAND: The season for polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) has begun. Wioleta Gorecka spotted them over Reykjavik, Iceland, on Dec. 28th:
"They looked a bit like auroras in daytime," she says. "I think this is the most beautiful season of the year!"
Polar stratospheric clouds are newsworthy because normally the stratosphere has no clouds at all. The stratosphere is arid and almost always transparent. Coaxing widely-spaced water molecules together to make icy stratospheric clouds requires extremely low temperatures, below -85 C (188 K).
Satellite data show that it has been just that cold. Note the yellow circle in this plot of minimum temperatures in the Arctic stratosphere:
In late December, temperatures briefly dipped low enough for the formation of Type II PSCs, the colorful type that Gorecka saw. If NASA's MERRA-2 climate forecast is correct, the stratosphere will warm again later this week, forestalling more PSC sightings until January.
Each sighting is special, because PSCs are far more rare than auroras. Stay tuned for more as Arctic winter deepens.
Realtime Stratospheric Cloud Photo Gallery
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A GIFT FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch cosmic ray sensors to the stratosphere, they send a little something extra along for the ride. For example, this moonstone wrapped in a sterling silver Celtic love knot:
You can have it for $179.95. The students are selling these pendants as a fund-raiser for their cosmic ray monitoring program. They make great anniversary, birthday and Valentine's Day gifts. Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Spaceweather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter