CME IMPACT POSSIBLE TODAY: A coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun on March 20th could hit Earth's magnetic field today, March 23rd. If so, it will be a glancing blow. The CME (movie) was not squarely aimed at our planet. Geomagnetic unrest is possible if the storm cloud actually arrives. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
TWO MORE CMEs: Solar activity is picking up. Yesterday, the sun launched two more coronal mass ejections (CMEs) into space. Click to play a movie from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory:
NOAA analysts have modeled the storm clouds and determined that neither will strike Earth. One will miss to the left, one to the right.
The increasing pace of CME activity is another sign that young Solar Cycle 25 is coming to life. Soon, one of these clouds will hit our planet head-on and we will have a decent geomagnetic storm. Stay tuned! Aurora alerts: SMS Text
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EXTRA-PENETRATING SOLAR WIND MAKES PINK AURORAS: The solar wind was blowing past Earth faster than 600 km/s on March 21st when, suddenly, a pink ribbon of light snaked across the sky of Foxholes, NWT, Canada. John David McKinnon photographed the phenomenon:
"'Twas a night full of active auroras, some of which erupted with an extra burst of energy and lit up the sky with a mesmerizing 'Pink Fringe,'" says McKinnon.
This is also known as the "nitrogen fringe." Most auroras are green--the color of oxygen atoms struck by energetic particles from space between 100 km and 300 km above Earth's surface. Pink appears when energetic particles descend lower than usual, striking nitrogen molecules at the 100 km level and below. A gust of extra-penetrating solar wind thus painted the skies of Canada temporarily pink.
Another high-speed stream of solar wind will reach Earth 4 days from now. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for more scenes like this.
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STERLING SILVER HUMMINGBIRD: This hummingbird has touched space. The sterling silver pendant hitched a ride to the stratosphere on Jan. 15, 2021, when the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray balloon. Here it is, floating 111,202 feet above the snow-capped Sierra Nevada of central California:
You can have it for $133.95. The students are selling hummingbird pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the hummingbird in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space. It makes an out-of-this-world birthday, anniversary, or Mother's Day gift!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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