CHANCE OF FLARES TODAY: Growing sunspot AR3340 has developed a 'delta-class' magnetic field that harbors energy for strong solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares and a 10% chance of X-flares on June 26th. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
NOCTILUCENT CLOUDS OVER SEATTLE: Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) dipped into the United States last night with a bright display over Seattle. "I caught them on the northern horizon about 1 hour and 40 minutes after sunset," reports Dustin Guy, who took this picture:
"These are the first I've seen this season," he says.
This is the second night in a row that NLCs have been sighted at mid-latitudes.On June 24th, sky watchers saw the clouds from both Italy (+46N) and Germany (+51N). Now add Seattle (+47N) to the list.
NLCs are clouds of frosted meteor smoke. They form every year in summer when wisps of water vapor rise up to the edge of space. At altitudes greater than 80 km, the water crystallizes around disintegrated meteoroids, forming electric-blue structures visible in the night sky.
The NOAA-21 satellite monitors NLCs from Earth orbit. Over the weekend it detected clouds between 40 and 50 degrees latitude:
These data confirm what ground-based observers are seeing. NLCs are spreading south.
This is a normal development. At the beginning of each summer, NLCs tend to be concentrated inside the Arctic Circle. As June turns to July, the clouds spread to lower latitudes. They've been sighted in recent years as far south as Spain and southern California.
Go outside after sunset and look north. If you see electric-blue ripples rising into the night sky, you've probably spotted a noctilucent cloud. Submit your photos here.
Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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STERLING SILVER "I LOVE YOU MORE" PENDANT: No monkeying around--this gift is a true expression of love. Engraved with the words "I love you more," the humorous pendant shows a cute money gazing at a golden banana inside a sterling silver heart. Best of all, it has been to the edge of space:
You can have it for $134.95. On June 20, 2023, the pendant hitched a ride onboard a cosmic ray research balloon, reaching an altitude of 104,345 ft. It 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
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Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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Realtime Space Weather Photo Gallery
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