THE SOLAR WIND IS HERE: Earth is inside a stream of solar wind flowing almost 600 km/s. First contact on Jan. 25th produced an unexpected G1-class geomagnetic storm, described below. Storm conditions are subsiding now. However, Arctic auroras are still possible (even likely) on Jan. 26th as the solar wind continues to blow. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORA SURPRISE: A stream of solar wind hit Earth on Jan. 25th. The impact sparked an unexpected G1-class geomagnetic storm. "Suddenly, the whole sky was moving and dancing. It felt like aurora was hitting us with a hammer onto the head," reports Markus Varik, who sends this picture from Tromsø, Norway:
"For a moment, local magnetometers dipped down to more than -1000 nT!" says Varik. "A significant magnetic disturbance was underway, and the auroras were visible despite bright moonlight."
The solar wind was expected. It emerged from a small hole in the sun's atmosphere, which forecasters had been tracking for days. The surprise occurred when a crack formed in Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind poured in, fueling a storm in disproportion to the size of the stream.
"That," says Varik, "was a pleasant surprise."
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THE VERNAL EQUINOX PEARL: This pearl has touched space. On Jan. 15th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon. The Vernal Equinox Pearl went along for the ride. Here it is, floating 111,202 feet above the snow-capped Sierra Nevada of central California:
You can have it for $169.95. The students are selling space pearls to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. This 10mm cultured white pearl, surrounded by a crystalline splash of spring-green cubic zirconia, spent more than 2 hours in the stratosphere as sensors in the payload measured cosmic rays.
Each purchase comes with a greeting card showing the pearl 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
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