GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G2): NASA and NOAA now agree: A full halo CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field this weekend. Its arrival probably during the late hours of Nov. 5th could spark a G2-class geomagnetic storm with auroras in northern Europe, Canada and US states from New York to Oregon. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
The CME was hurled in our direction on Nov. 3rd by a complex eruption of solar magnetic filaments. SOHO corographraphs recorded this movie of the cloud leaving the sun:
Not shown are two to three other CMEs, which left the sun just before and just after the halo event. Analysts had to untangle multiple CMEs to produce a forecast. To get a sense of the uncertainties, compare the NASA model to the NOAA model. Predicted arrival times range from 1200 UT on Nov. 5th to 0000 UT on Nov. 6th, with NASA favoring earlier, NOAA later.
Either way, high-latitude auroras are possible on the night of Nov. 5-6. Submit your pictures here.
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COMET 12P ERUPTS AGAIN: Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks just did it again. On Halloween, it abruptly brightened almost 100-fold, indicating a new outburst of cryovolcanic activity. Retired biology professor and now-amateur astronomer Eliot Herman has been monitoring the comet and caught the Oct. 31st brightening:
"This comet has been widely reported in the news as the 'devil comet' due to two prior outbursts that produced devil-like horns," says Herman. "On Halloween the devil burst forth again with a large outburst that continued into the next day. On November 2 a new bright coma is beginning to appear and in the next days it will be seen if the devil will make a third appearance. All images were captured with Telescope T11 at the Utah Desert Observatory, and are stacks of 9 x 60 seconds."
Amateur astronomers with backyard telescopes larger than 12-inches are encouraged to monitor developments. The comet is currently shining like a 12th magnitude star, located in Hercules just across the border from the bright star Vega. [sky map]
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THE MOONSHADOW ECLIPSE PENDANT: This pendant has touched the shadow of the Moon. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere on Oct. 14, 2023, during the annular solar eclipse. The Moonshadow Pendant was 78,500 feet high when the Moon's shadow arrived and wrapped it in a cool twilight-like darkness:
You can have it for $129.95. The pendant left Earth from Nevada's Valley of the Moon, a remote area filled with the scent of sage and herds of wild horses. Indeed, no fewer than three mustang families approached the launch team during the eclipse to see what was going on. It was a magical experience.
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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