SPRITE SEASON BEGINS:This week, a magnificent display of jellyfish sprites over Kansas kicked off the spring season for upward-directed "space lightning." The fast-moving red forms were even visible to the unaided eye. Observing tips and the full story are available here.
STEVE, WITH A TWIST: Last month, MaryBeth Kiczenski of Michigan did something few photographers have managed. "I took a long exposure of STEVE," she explains. Stacked and tracked, here is five minutes of the purple ribbon over Copper Harbor:
Kiczenski took the picture on March 13th after a solar wind stream hit Earth's magnetic field, sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. Auroras descended from Canada into the United States, and they brought STEVE with them.
STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) is a recent discovery, written about for the first time in scientific literature only 3 years ago. It is a ribbon of hot (3000°C) gas, which meanders through the upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere during some geomagnetic storms. The ribbon's purple hue is still a mystery; some research suggests the color comes from heated nitrogen.
Much about STEVE remains unknown, including its dynamics. Kiczenski's photo reveals a potential twist--literally, a twist in the lower 1/3rd of the ribbon. It will be interesting to see if such features recur when other photographers apply deep-sky techniques to STEVE. The purple ribbon will appear with greater frequency as Solar Cycle 25 intensifies, so more photo-ops are in the offing. Stay tuned!
Realtime STEVE Photo Gallery
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STERLING SILVER SUNFLOWER PENDANT: Looking for a far out gift? Consider the blue sunflower. On April 1, 2021, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray research balloon to the stratosphere. This unique pendant went along for the ride:
You can have it for $138.95. The students are selling space pendants to fund their cosmic ray ballooning program. The stem of this hypoallergenic sterling silver sunflower wraps around a blue heart-shaped Swarovski crystal--all suspended from a matching 18-inch chain. Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter