AURORAS LOVE EUINOXES: The vernal equinox is only 2 days away. That's good news, because auroras love equinoxes. Researchers call it the "Russell-McPherron effect." At this time of year, cracks form in Earth's magnetic field. Even a weak stream of solar wind can penetrate to spark a good display. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
ANOTHER DARK PLASMA ERUPTION: This post may give you a sense of deja vu. Yesterday, a magnetic filament filled with dark plasma erupted from the southwestern quadrant of the sun. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the event starting at 0630 UT on March 17th:
This is almost identical to an eruption on March 11th--dark plasma and all. The March 11th blast threw a CME at our planet and sparked a G2-class geomagnetic storm with auroras around both of Earth's poles. This one could do the same. NOAA forecasters say a CME is on the way and it could arrive on March 20th. Stay tuned for updates! Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
THE AFTERGLOW OF A CME: Sometimes the second night is best. Finnish photographer Matti Helin didn't see anything immediately on March 15th when a CME struck Earth's magnetic field. Twenty-four hours later, however, the sky filled with auroras:
"It was a surprisingly nice display," says Helin. "For a moment, the auroras got very bright."
Helin witnessed the CME's afterglow--the delayed appearance of auroras that sometimes happens when Earth is passing through a CME's wake. Within the slipstream, strong magnetic fields can open a crack in Earth's magnetosphere, allowing solar wind to penetrate and paint the sky with light.
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"ALWAYS AND FOREVER" SPACE PENDANT: Are you looking for a romantic gift? Consider the Always and Forever Space Pendent. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $199.95. Engraved with the words "I love you always and forever", this 18K gold-plated pendant has a heart-shaped citrine crystal in the middle surrouunded by a ring of glittering 5A cubic zirconia nuggets. It is a visually striking premium pendant that makes a once-in-a-lifetime anniversary or birthday gift.
The students are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry 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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