FARSIDE SOLAR ACTIVITY: A sunspot group located just behind the sun's SW limb started exploding today. SOHO coronagraphs saw two clouds of debris billowing over the edge of the sun on Dec. 4th. These CMEs are well outside the Earth strike zone and will not affect our planet. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
ANTARCTIC SOLAR ECLIPSE: A total eclipse of the sun happened today. You had to fly to Antarctica to see it. Petr Horálek sends this picture taken 41,000 feet above the Weddell Sea:
"Despite the pandemic, many people traveled to see this spectacular eclipse," says Horálek. "Some were lucky to get on the 'sixth continent,' others traveled via ship cruise, the third group flew high above the clouds. I was one of those, traveling in one of two separate airplanes floating inside the Moon's shadow. Totality took about 2 minutes, bright Mercury and Antares were visible around the eclipsed sun."
Realtime Solar Eclipse Photo Gallery
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AURORAS OVER NEW MEXICO: Exactly one month ago today, the strongest geomagnetic storm in years sent Northern Lights spilling into the southern USA. Allen Hwang photographed the display from Deming, New Mexico:
"I read on Spaceweather.com that a CME hit Earth's magnetic field," recalls Hwang. "So, just before midnight on Nov. 4th, I set up my camera for a time lapse video and went to sleep. I got up before dawn and was shocked to see that it recorded auroras."
His video captured 3 hours of action, including not only auroras but also a number of meteors, satellites, and airplanes. During the G3-class storm, auroras were also observed in California and Colorado. These may seem like strange places to experience space weather. Get used to it. Solar Cycle 25 is just getting started; many more episodes of low-latitude aurora are likely in the years ahead. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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