FARSIDE SUNSPOTS: There are two sunspots on the farside of the sun so large they are affecting the way the sun vibrates. Take a look at this helioseismic map. The two dark regions are echoes of farside spots. One of them (on the left) will rotate onto the Earthside of the sun in 2 days. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
A SCREAMING GOOD GEOMAGNETIC STORM: A stream of solar wind hit Earth on Sept. 4th, sparking a G2-class geomagnetic storm. When the auroras appeared over Oregon, "even people who didn't know about space weather saw them and started screaming!" reports Andrew Harvey, who sends this picture from Crown Point overlooking the Columbia River:
"It was a magnificent show," says Harvey. "The auroras became very bright to the naked eye."
The solar wind stream that caused the display blew out of a large hole in the sun's atmosphere. NOAA forecasters knew it was coming and successfully predicted a G2-class storm. However, the storm lasted longer than anyone expected--almost 24 hours. Auroras spread across the USA from Maine to Washington.
In Iceland, the auroras were so bright the landscape turned green:
"If this is how the season is starting, I can't wait to see what will happen next," says photographer Wioleta Gorecka of Kleifarvatn. "Last night taught me to dream."
These incredible displays were a combined result of two factors: (1) the solar wind was blowing very fast, at one point topping 700 km/s; and (2) a series of cracks opened in Earth's magnetic field, allowing the solar wind to penetrate deeply. It was a perfect G2-storm.
Did you miss the show? Next time get a wake up call. Subscribers to our Space Weather Alert Service received instant text messages when the storm began. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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ROSE QUARTZ HEART PENDANT: Take a heart shaped piece of rose quartz. Wrap it in a sterling silver sunflower filigree. Then launch it to space. That's how you make an Earth to Sky Rose Quartz Heart Pendant. Here's one flying 107,400 feet above Earth on Aug. 26th:
You can have one for $142.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its trip to the edge of space. All sales support STEM science.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter