GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: NOAA forecasters say there is a chance of minor G1-class geomagnetic storms on July 6th when a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. The gaseous material is flowing from a cyclops-like hole in the sun's atmosphere. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
AURORAS ON THE 4TH OF JULY: A CME that narrowly missed Earth on July 1st is still making auroras four days later. Greg Ash photographed the light show during the early hours of July 4th from Ely, Minnesota:
"It was a pleasure to watch three generations captivated by this beautiful pulsating colorful light show," says Ash. "The auroras were very visible to the naked eye."
The CME that caused the display was probably launched from the sun on June 28th by an erupting filament of magnetism. It wasn't squarely on the sun-Earth line and didn't actually strike our planet. Instead, it shoved some dense solar wind plasma in our direction as it passed by; think of the wake of a passing speed boat. Ripples from the near miss sparked G1-class geomagnetic storms on July 2nd and July 4th.
more images: from Jake Stehli of Winona, Minnesota; from Marybeth Kiczenski of Ludington, MI; from Dwight Brady of Marquette, MI; from Sarah Goodwin of Mears, MI; from Thomas Spence of Tofte, MN; from Michele Sadauskas of Glidden, WI; from Matthew D. Moffet of Billings, Montana
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NOT AURORAS OVER NEVADA: On July 2nd, while sky watchers in northern US states were photographing auroras, green ripples appeared over Nevada. Marcus Prazniak photographed the phenomenon from a Joshua Tree forest in the rural middle of the state:
"A clear night in the High Desert brought out the brilliance of the Milky Way bathed in green airglow near the horizon," says Prazniak.
Airglow looks like the aurora borealis, but it is not. While auroras require geomagnetic storms, airglow comes from chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere. Gravity waves propagating upward from the lower atmosphere impress the green glow with a dramatic rippling structure.
Airglow can be photographed on very dark nights anywhere in the world. Browse the airglow gallery for more examples.
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THE EDGE OF SPACE BUTTERFLY: Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Edge of Space Butterfly. On June 26, 2022, this citrine crystal pendant hitched a ride onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $162.95. The inner yellow crystal is surrounded by a "spread your wings" lattice of sparkling zirconia. A rich layer of rhodium plating ensures the longevity of the pendant and its 18-inch chain.
The Edge of Space Butterfly makes a great anniversary, Christmas, or birthday gift. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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