NO CHANCE OF FLARES TODAY: The chance of strong flares today is no more than 1%, according to NOAA forecasters. There are two sunspots on the solar disk; both have stable magnetic fields that are unlikely to erupt. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
SOLAR WIND SPARKS ARCTIC AURORAS: A stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field, blowing ~ 600 km/s. A gust last night sparked bright auroras over Tromsø, Norway.
"It was an amazing outburst," says photographer Markus Varik. "We drove for more than an hour to find a break in the clouds. So totally worth it!"
The solar wind is flowing from a southern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Earth should remain inside the stream for another 12 to 24 hours. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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RARE TRIPLE MOON HALO: When last Friday's lunar eclipse began, Arizona photographer Eliot Herman was dismayed to see the sky filling with clouds. Dismay soon turned into delight. "A rare triple halo formed around the Moon," he explains.
"I have not seen one like it before," says atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "It is a rare and beautiful combination."
To figure out what caused it, Cowley traced rays of moonlight through simulated clouds. He found an excellent match. "The triple halo was caused by hexagonal ice crystals in the clouds. There is a circumscribed halo, a paraselenic circle and a really really rare Parry arc. Only at the particular altitude of the Moon when Eliot's camera fired does the Parry arc touch the other two halos."
"I was disappointed with the haze and clouds," says Herman, "but this certainly made lemonade out of the lemons."
Got a picture of the eclipse? Submit it here
Realtime Eclipse Photo Gallery
GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is coming. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Check out the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons.
Carried aloft by giant helium balloons, these unique gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out.
Don't forget to enter coupon code "SPACESANTA" at checkout for a 10% holiday discount.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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