CME IMPACT SPARKS GEOMAGNETIC STORM (UPDATED): As predicted, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field on April 14th. Its impact sparked a moderately strong G2-class geomagnetic storm, which peaked around 1800 UTC. The storm is subsiding now (currently G1), but the respite may be short-lived. Earth is moving into the CME's strongly magnetized wake; "tail effects" could boost storm levels back to G2 during the night of April 14-15. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
Philip Granrud photographed these auroras on April 14th before sunrise in Kalispell, Montana:
"Amazingly, I able to photograph them inside the heart of Kalispell despite all of the urban light pollution--and even more amazingly during an almost full Moon!" says Granrud. "The colors were very visible even to the naked eye for a brief period of time. It's very rare to see the auroras here in Montana with a full Moon."
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ANOTHER FARSIDE EXPLOSION: The Earthside of the sun is quiet. All the action is on the farside. For the third time this week, SOHO has detected a significant farside CME:
The storm cloud was hurled into space by an unseen solar flare on April 13th. If Earth were in the line of fire, a strong geomagnetic storm would be in the offing. Instead, Mercury will take the direct hit. CMEs hitting Mercury can scour material from the rocky planet's surface, adding material to its comet-like tail.
Helioseismic soundings reveal reveal the probable source of these explosions. There is a large region of intense magnetism on the sun's farside, probably a complex sunspot group. It will rotate over the sun's eastern limb less than a week from now. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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OCEAN BLUE CRYSTAL DOLPHIN PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Ocean Blue Crystal Dolphin Pendant. It flew to the stratosphere on April 8th onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $172.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling these crystal cetaceans to support their cosmic ray monitoring program.
The dolphin is wrapped in a sterling silver wave and suspended from a matching 18-inch chain. It contains no nickel, no lead, no cadmium; the pendant is totally hypoallergenic. Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the dolphin in flight, and telling the story of its trip to the edge of space and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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