GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G3): Three and perhaps four CMEs are heading for Earth following a series of explosions on the sun this week. Estimated time of arrival: Nov. 30th and Dec. 1st. The biggest of the CMEs, launched on Nov. 28th, could sweep up some of the earlier, lesser ones, forming a Cannibal CME capable of sparking strong G3-class geomagnetic storms with mid-latitude auroras. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
ALMOST-X CLASS SOLAR FLARE: Sunspot AR3500 erupted on Nov. 28th (1950 UT), producing an M9.8-class solar flare (only percentage points below category X). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the blast:
A pulse of extreme ultraviolet radiation blacked out shortwave radio communications across the South Pacific Ocean and parts of the Americas: map. Mariners and ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below ~20 MHz for as much as an hour after the flare.
Of greater interest is the CME. The explosion hurled one directly toward Earth. This SOHO coronagraph movie shows a halo cloud expanding in our direction faster than 800 km/s (1.8 million mph):
According to a NASA model, this CME will strike Earth midday (UT) on Dec. 1st. It might sweep up one of several slower CMEs ahead of it. If so, it could form a Cannibal CME capable of causing a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm. CME alerts: SMS Text
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STARLINK MOON HALO: Another batch of 23 Starlink satellites soared into orbit onboard a Space X Falcon 9 rocket Monday night from Cape Canaveral. Just after liftoff, the rocket pierced a thin layer of icy clouds, setting the stage for this picture:
"The Starlink schedule has increased so much that that there is a launch every week from Cape Canaveral," says photographer Dr. Gilbert Plumer of Rockledge, Florida, only 20 miles from the Cape. "Cirrus clouds made a halo around the full Moon, adding some beauty to the liftoff."
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