GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH--CANCELED: A CME expected to graze Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 2nd has either missed or it is approaching more slowly than expected. Either way, a geomagnetic storm is now unlikely. The CME was hurled into space by the strongest solar flare of Solar Cycle 25, an X5-class explosion on New Year's Eve. If Earth had been directly in the line of fire, we might now be experiencing strong-to-severe geomagnetic storms. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
POLAR CAP ABSORPTION EVENT: The X5-flare that happened on New Year's Eve is still affecting Earth four days later. A polar cap absorption event (PCA) is underway, shown here in a shortwave radio blackout map from NOAA:
Red zones in this global map show where radio transmissions are being absorbed. Frequencies below 10 MHz are almost completely blacked out, while anything below 35 MHz is being attentuated, at least a little.
What's causing this? Protons accelerated by the New Year's Eve explosion (and subsequent lesser flares from the same sunspot) are hitting our planet. Earth's magnetic field funnels these particles toward the poles where their ionizing effect causes the absorption of shortwave radio. This can affect international aviators flying polar routes.
The absorption event could last for days; you can can monitor its progress here.
BLUE RIDGE SNOW HALO: Yesterday, Todd Bush went out for an early morning walk in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. "The weather was a chilly 22° when suddenly the wind whipped a cloud of snow into the air, forming a beautiful ring around the sun."
This is a "snow halo." Normally rings of light around the sun are formed by ice crystals in freezing cirrus clouds. In this case, the job was done by airborne snow. In addition to the 22-degree halo, there is also a pair of sundogs and a speckled tangent arc. Let it snow!
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AMBER DRAGONFLY SPACE PENDANT: Valentine's Day is coming. Are you looking for a far-out gift? Consider the Sierra Moonrise Pendant. It flew to the edge of space onboard a cosmic ray balloon, shown here 117,400 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of California:
You can have it for $142.95. The sterling silver pendant shows the craggy Sierra range with a full Moonstone rising overhead. It makes a great Valentine's, birthday, or anniversary present.
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
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