CORONAL MASS EJECTION: A faint partial-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) billowed away from the sun on April 10-11: movie. The source of the blast is not certain. If it is heading for Earth (a big *if*), the CME would strike our planet's magnetic field on April 14-15. Stay tuned for updates. CME impact alerts: SMS Text.
AURORAS VS. THE MIDNIGHT SUN: Inside the Arctic Circle, aurora season is coming to an end. "Here at 70°N, our nights are not getting completely dark anymore," reports Rayann Elzein of Utsjoki, Finland. "In 3 to 4 days, it will not be possible to see even the brightest Northern Lights. Luckily, last night the auroras came out with a pretty bright display!"
These could be the last auroras Elzein sees for a while as the Midnight Sun begins to overwhelm the glow of geomagnetic activity. "I will keep an eye on the sky in the next couple of nights," he says. "Otherwise see you again in late August!"
Now for the good news: Summer isn't bad for everyone. At lower latitudes, auroras will still be visible. All you need are a few hours of darkness and an outburst of solar activity. Last July, for instance, midsummer auroras descended into the USA when a CME hit Earth's magnetic field. Read Spaceweather.com's July 25, 2020, archive page for details. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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YES, YOUR MOM LOVES SPACE: Are you looking for an out-of-this world Mother's Day gift? Consider this: Every time the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launch a cosmic ray balloon, they include something extra in the payload--something Mom will love:
Every item in the Earth to Sky Store has flown to the edge of space and comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight. The interior of the card tells the story of the gift's journey from launch to landing. Mom-satisfaction guaranteed!
Mother's Day Special: Use coupon code "SPACEMOM" at checkout for a 10% discount. Offer valid from now until Mother's Day (May 9, 2021) .
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter