GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G1): NOAA has issued a minor geomagnetic (G1-class) storm watch for March 9th when a stream of solar wind is expected to graze Earth's magnetic field. Normally, this low-impact solar wind stream wouldn't cause a magnetic storm. However, at this time of year, even a gentle gust of solar wind can do the job because of the equinox Russell-McPherron effect. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
"SPACEX SPIRAL" SURPRISES ONLOOKERS: Update: SpaceX is to blame. On Monday night, a luminous blue spiral appeared in the night sky over Lofoten, Norway. Bettina Begtoft photographed the apparition on March 5th as it sank into the Barents Sea:
"I noticed it at 2:02 am local time," says Begtoft. "To the naked eye it looked white, but my Nikon D750 camera revealed the beautiful blue color."
Begtoft witnessed a "SpaceX spiral." About an hour earlier (Sunday, March 4th at March 4th at 22:05 UT), SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. It carried 53 small satellites to Earth-orbit, a mission known as Transporter-10. When the rocket's discarded 2nd stage passed over Barents sea, it performed a de-orbit burn. A bit of spin turned the exhaust into a spectacular spiral.
Aurora photographer Shang Yang saw the same spiral from Iceland:
"I caught this in Akureyri around 1 a.m. local time on March 5th," says Yang. "It looked otherworldly against the Northern Lights!"
As strange as they appear, these spirals are a routine by-product of SpaceX operations. Similar blue swirls have been seen after many Falcon 9 launches including this one over New Zealand, another over east Africa, two more above Hawaii, and most famous of all, this specimen over Alaska.
Astronomer Olivier Staiger actually predicted the March 5th spiral, and he explains why it has a spiral shape: "On rideshare missions like Transporter-10, the numerous satellites from various clients have different destinations. SpaceX must rotate stage 2 for deployment. As a result, stage 2 is still rotating when they do the de-orbit burn and thus creates a spiral."
Bouyed by last night's success, Staiger is predicting another spiral in October. "The Transporter-12 mission in October could be epic with excellent equinox auroras, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, and the Draconid and Orionid meteor showers," he says. "See you in Iceland!"
Readers, did you see the spiral? Submit your photos here.
more images: from Chip Gentry watching a webcam in Selvogur, Iceland; from Tero Hiekkalinna of Manamansalo, Finland
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18K GOLD "LOVE YOU TO THE MOON" LOCKET: This is a very special locket. It's heart-shaped, plated with 18K gold, and we will fly it again during this year's total eclipse of the sun. Keep reading...
On Jan. 26, 2024, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this locket to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. At the apex of the flight, it floated 111,535 feet above the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California:
Buy it now for $149.95, and we'll fly it again--FOR FREE--during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. The students will be launching multiple balloons from the path of totality in Texas. Your pendant will go along for the ride, touching the shadow of the Moon at the edge of space. (Simply type "FLY IT AGAIN" in the comments box at checkout.)
The locket, which opens to hold a personal photo or other small item, comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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