GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: Minor geomagnetic storms are possible on Dec. 3rd when a CME might sideswipe Earth's magnetic field. The storm cloud was hurled into space on Nov. 29th by an erupting filament of magnetism in the sun's southern hemisphere (movie). According to NOAA computer models, the bulk of the CME should sail south of our planet with a near miss just as likely as a glancing blow. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORA SURPRISE: Forecasters were not expecting this. On Nov. 30th, a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) hit Earth's magnetic field, sparking a G1-class geomagnetic storm. In Abisko, Sweden, Lights over Lapland tour guide Claudio Comi was off-duty, but he couldn't resist dashing out for an impromptu self-portrait:
CIRs are transition zones between slow- and fast-moving solar wind streams. They contain shock waves and strong magnetic fields that can mimic coronal mass ejections (CMEs), often producing bright auroras when they arrive.
"The auroras became very active after the CIR arrived, and a powerful corona danced overhead," says Comi. "I captured this image at the peak of the display and can say that it was one of the best auroras I have ever seen."
CIRs are notorously difficult to predict. This one arrived just ahead of a high-speed stream flowing from a northern hole in the sun's atmosphere. Forecasters expected the stream (and its CIR) to sail north of our planet--a complete miss. What happened instead was a pleasant surprise. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
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