POSSIBLE GLANCING-BLOW CME: A CME that left the sun on Feb. 6th might graze Earth's magnetic field on Feb. 9th. If it does not, it will be the 3rd CME in a row that narrowly misses Earth. Third time's the charm? Even a glancing blow could cause a G1-class geomagnetic storm. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
A "FULL HALO" EXPLOSION ON THE FARSIDE OF THE SUN: Yesterday, SOHO coronagraphs recorded a remarkable CME. It was a full halo event:
"Full halo" means the CME completely surrounds the sun. For comparison, here's a CME that is not a full halo.
When space weather forecasters see a halo CME, they always feel a frisson of excitement. Half of all halo CMEs are heading directly toward Earth--they are bulls-eyes likely to produce a geomagnetic storm. The other half are heading directly away from Earth. Either geometry can make a halo.
This particular halo is heading away from Earth. It was propelled into space by an unseen explosion on the farside of the sun, diametrically opposite our planet. A NASA model of the CME shows it will hit the Parker Solar Probe before splitting in two near the orbit of Mars. No planet is in the line of fire. Maybe next time...
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VALENTINE'S GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Does your sweetheart love space? Shop the Earth to Sky Store for their perfect Valentine's gift. All items have flown to the stratosphere on board cosmic ray research balloons--and from now until Feb. 14th, everything is 10% off:
Each purchase comes with a greeting card showing the item in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere and back again. Don't forget to enter the coupon code "ILOVESPACE" for your Valentine's discount!
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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