CHANCE OF CHRISTMAS STORMS: Multiple M-class solar flares this week have hurled at least two faint CMEs toward Earth. NOAA forecast models predict glancing blows on Dec. 23rd and 25th. The impacts, albeit weak, could combine to produce G1-class geomagnetic storms and high-latitude auroras during the Christmas holiday. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORAS AND METEORS: Two streams are better than one. Last night, a stream of debris from Comet 8P/Tuttle hit Earth's atmosphere while a stream of solar wind buffeted our planet's magnetic field. Gregory Tran photographed both over Svalbard, Norway:
"The train seemed to be spitting auroras into the polar night," says Tran. "During the photographic exposure I was lucky to have an Ursid meteor fall from the sky."
Svalbard is deep inside the Arctic Circle, and at this time of year rare polar strtatospheric clouds (PSCs) can drift over the island. "The pink glare was because of the reflection of sunlight into the PSCs," notes Tran. "The overall scenery was light up with the almost full moon."
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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COMET LEONARD MEETS A SPRITE: Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) has become so bright, it is now being photographed by accident. Last night Frankie Lucena was looking through Gemini Observatory cloudcam photos for sprites over Hawaii. He found a sprite and Comet Leonard:
"Venus and Saturn were also present, so it was a pretty cool combination of celestial delights," says Lucena.
Comet Leonard experienced an outburst on Dec. 20th. Something happened inside the comet's core, causing it to brighten 10-fold: light curve. This comes as no surprise. The comet is heading for its closest approach to the sun (0.61 AU) on Jan. 3rd. Comet Leonard is feeling the heat, with new jets of gas and dust erupting from the comet's core.
More outbursts could be in the offing. Astronomers in the southern hemisphere will have the best view as Comet Leonard climbs higher in the austral summer sky: coordinates. The comet is currently shining like a 4th magnitude star, barely visible to the unaided eye but an easy target for backyard telescopes. Submit your pictures here.
Realtime Comet Leonard Photo Gallery
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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.
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