MANY FARSIDE SUNSPOTS: Helioseismic maps of the farside of the sun show multiple large active regions, probably sunspots. This means the sunspot number should remain high as the sun turns on its axis in the weeks ahead. Disappearing Earthside sunspots will be replaced by farside counterparts. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text

M-FLARE FROM AN UNEXPECTED SOURCE: Sunspot AR3331 exploded on June 9th (1711 UT), producing an M2.5-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:

A pulse of radiation ionized the top of Earth's atmosphere. This, in turn, caused a minor blackout of shortwave radio transmissions over the Gulf of Mexico: map. Mariners may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 15 MHz for as much as 30 minutes after the flare.

Priviously, this sunspot was not thought to pose a threat for strong solar flares. AR3331 may have some tricks up its sleeve as it turns toward Earth this weekend. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text

Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter

SATURN'S CAT PENDANT: It's a far-out gift for the cat-lover in your life: Saturn's Cat. The sterling silver pendant touched space on April 29, 2023, when it hitched a ride onboard an Earth to Sky Calculus cosmic ray research balloon.

You can have it for $142.95. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again.

Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education

---

Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
Free: Spaceweather.com Newsletter