GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH: Minor (G1-class) geomagnetic storms could happen on March 20-21 due to a possible glancing blow from an incoming CME. The CME was hurled into space on March 17th by the eruption of a magnetic filament containing dark plasma. Because of the "Russell-McPherron effect," even a weak impact around the equinox could spark a good display of high latitude auroras,. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
APPROACHING SUNSPOTS: A group of large sunspots is emerging over the sun's southwestern limb. In Castano Primo, Italy, amateur astronomer Alessandro Gambaro targeted the region with his solar telescope and photographed multiple dark cores larger than Earth:
So far these sunspots are crackling with only minor C-class solar flares, but they appear capable of larger explosions. In fact, this could be the sunspot group that produced an "Extremely Rare" superfast CME last week while it was still on the farside of the sun. If so, a potent active region is moving into Earth's strike zone. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.
more images: from Pepe Manteca of Begues, Catalunya, Spain
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
SOLAR TORNADO: For much of the past week, astronomers have been watching a collossal "solar tornado" dance near the sun's North Pole. "This thing was twisting and growing for 3 days," says Apollo Lasky of Naperville, Illinois, who made the following movie using images from SDO
"I've never seen anything like it in all my years of watching the sun," he says. "It never stops--amazing!"
Unlike tornadoes on Earth, which are shaped by wind, tornadoes on the sun are controlled by magnetism. Solar magnetic fields twist in a furious spiral, dragging clouds of plasma around with them.
This particular twister finally overtorqued itself. On March 18th it spun out and hurled a cloud of magnetized gas into space. The show is over! Ejecta from the unraveling is flying up from the sun's North Pole and will not hit Earth.
more images: from Efrain Morales Rivera of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico
ANOTHER DARK PLASMA ERUPTION: Warning: This post may give you a sense of déjà vu. On March 17th, a magnetic filament filled with dark plasma erupted from the southwestern quadrant of the sun:
This is almost identical to a dark plasma eruption last week. The March 11th blast threw a CME at our planet and sparked G2-class geomagnetic storms when it arrived 3 days later. Auroras were sighted in both hemispheres.
The March 17th eruption might 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.
Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter
RARE MR. SPOCK MUG: It's the logical way to wake up in the morning: Coffee in a rare Mr. Spock mug. This unique ceramic collector's item flew to the stratosphere onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon:
You cannot buy these mugs anywhere on the internet--not even Amazon. But you can have one from Earth to Sky Calculus for $170.10. That's the serial number of the Enterprise divided by 10. The mug comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space and back again. It's a great gift for any Trekkie!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter