SUBSIDING GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A geomagnetic storm that began on April 14th when a CME hit Earth's magnetic field is subsiding. At its apex, around 1800 UTC, the storm reached category G2--a moderately strong event. The only thing that prevented widespread aurora sightings was daylight. In Europe and North America the sun was out when the storm peaked. Aurora alerts: SMS Text

AN ACTIVE SUNSPOT IS APPROACHING: The northeastern limb of the sun is seething with activity. So far today there have been three M-class solar flares and even more plumes of debris flying into space. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded this sample during the early hours of April 15th:

The source of the activity is a farside sunspot group. It is even more active than it seems because all of its flares are eclipsed by the edge of the sun. Some of today's explosions may have actually been X-class.

Helioseismologists have been tracking this region for more than a week. It is so big it alters the way the whole sun vibrates. Helioseismic soundings reveal a large region of intense magnetism--probably the roots of a complex sunspot group. We shall soon see; the blast site will rotate over the edge of the sun in a few days. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text

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SUNLIGHT vs MOONLIGHT vs NORTHERN LIGHTS: A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on April 14th. At the moment of impact, the sun was shining over Iceland. However, the resulting geomagnetic storm lasted *just* long enough for auroras after nightfall. Todd Salat sends this picture from Godafoss Falls:

"The nighttime window of darkness is rapidly shrinking here at 65.7° North latitude, just 60 miles south of the Arctic Circle, which makes the aurora spectacle that much more precious," says Salat. "Soon, summer sunlight will make it too hard to see the lights until autumn. A near-full Moon was also competing for light space here, but these Icelandic auroras would not be denied!"

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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OCEAN BLUE CRYSTAL DOLPHIN PENDANT: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Ocean Blue Crystal Dolphin Pendant. On April 8th, it flew to the stratosphere 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.

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