CALM BEFORE THE STORM? The sun has been quiet for two days. Could it be the calm before the storm? Big sunspot AR3014 has an unstable 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong explosions. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares and a 5% chance of X-flares on May 23rd. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
AURORA FROTH OVER MINNESOTA: No solar flares. No CMEs. No problem. This morning in Minnesota, auroras appeared unprompted by a solar storm. Greg Ash photographed the display from Ely, MN:
"As the Moon was rising, purple pillars slowly danced across the sky," says Ash. "I could hear the owl’s hooting in the distance with beautiful star reflections in the water. It's hard to believe the planetary K-index (Kp) was only 1."
Indeed, there was no planetary geomagnetic storm. Instead, a pulse of energetic particles squirted out of Earth's magnetic tail, igniting a local display over Minnesota. This kind of event is a sign that Solar Cycle 25 is intensifying. For months, Earth's magnetic field has been buffeted by streams of solar wind and passing CMEs. Each impact adds a little energy. Over time, this process revs up the magnetosphere, turning the space around our planet into a churn of non-stop activity. This morning, Ash saw the froth. Stay tuned for more. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
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MONSTER SUNSPOT: The biggest sunspot of Solar Cycle 25 is crossing the face of the sun--and it's a beauty. Or a monster. Decide for yourself. Luigi Morrone sends this picture of AR3014 from the Amalfitan Coast of Italy:
The primary dark cores of AR3014 are all wider than Earth. The entire ensemble stretches more than 125,000 km from end to end--almost a third of the distance between Earth and the Moon. These dimensions make it an easy target for safely-filtered backyard telescopes. (Morrone used a Baader Astrosolar filter attached to a Celestron 14-inch telescope.)
You don't have a filter? Try the projection technique, instead. Beautiful results are guaranteed.
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MR. SPOCK BEER COZY: It's the logical way to keep your drink cool--a Mr. Spock beer cozy. This one has been to the edge of space. It hitched a ride onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon on May 21, 2022:
You can have it for $99.95. The students are selling beer cozies (beer not included) to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. They make great Father's Day and birthday gifts. Each one comes with greeting card showing the cozy in flight, and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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