THE STORMS ARE OVER: NOAA forecasters say that G1-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Aug. 22nd. More likely, the storms are over. A final minor CME launched toward Earth by old sunspot AR3078 might indeed graze our planet's magnetic field today. However, it is already late, and thus slow; a tardy impact is unlikely to produce geomagnetic storms. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
AURORAS IN THE USA: Last week at least three CMEs hit Earth, none with great force, but together they were sufficient to spark multiple geomagnetic storms. On Aug. 20th, auroras spilled over the Canadian border into Ely, Minnesota:
"After the cloud deck broke, I was able to watch these beautiful pink pillars roll across the sky," says photographer Greg Ash, located at the end of the dock. "They were very visible to the naked eye."
Note: The storms were originally predicted to reach category G3 (strong). Instead they peaked at category G2 (moderate), one notch below. That doesn't mean the forecast was wrong; if only one of the CMEs had been a little more potent, the needle almost certainly would have hit the predicted value. Solar Cycle 25 is just getting started, so there will be a next time. Stay tuned! Aurora alerts: SMS Text
more images: from Marybeth Kiczenski of Mackinaw City, Michigan; from Elon Gane of Mohall, North Dakota; from Ethan Hohnke of Charlevoix, Michigan; from Sam Warfel of Whitefish Point, Michigan;
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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DANCING SPRITES OVER PUERTO RICO: Pro tip for storm chasers: Point your cameras just above the thundercloud. You might see something like this:
Frankie Lucena photographed the display last night from Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. He caught at least half a dozen red sprites leaping up from a powerful thunderstorm offshore: map.
"These are dancing sprites," says Lucena. "That's when a sprite event contains multiple sprites that fire up in a sequence. I combined them by stacking 10 video frames to show how impressive this event really was." A slow motion video shows the individual dancers.
Realtime Sprite Photo Gallery
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"I LOVE YOU MORE" OPAL: Nothing says "I love you" like jewelry from space. On June 3, 2022, this sterling silver opal pendant hitched a ride on an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight it floated 101,326 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
You can have it for $142.95. The opal's infinity wrap is engraved with "I Love You More." It's the perfect birthday, anniversary or (never too early!) Christmas gift for that special someone who loves space. Each pendant comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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