ANOTHER CME IS COMING: A faint CME left the sun on April 15th, the result of an M-class solar flare from sunspot AR3639. A NASA model predicts the CME will hit Earth's magnetic field on April 18th. Its impact could spark a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
OVERDUE CME FINALLY ARRIVES (UPDATED): Arriving almost two days later than expected, a CME hit Earth's magnetic field during the late hours of April 16th. The impact did not initially cause a geomagnetic storm, but it was strong enough to spark bright auroras around the Arctic Circle. Sacha Layos photographed the display from Fairbanks, Alaska:
"This show felt like it came out of nowhere!" says Layos. "Subtle aurora was quickly consumed by a dazzling display of movement and color that nearly made me put my camera down to just watch it all unfold."
Update: Hours after first contact, a G1-class geomagnetic storm erupted as Earth passed through the CME's wake. South-pointing magnetic fields downstream of the CME opened a crack in our planet's magnetosphere. Solar wind poured in to fuel the minor storm. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
more images: from James Perez-Rogers at the Ashokan Reservoir in New York; from Alan Pagoto of Morin Heights, Québec, Canada; from Christine Hughes in Norway
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18K GOLD TOTAL ECLIPSE PENDANT: This pendant has touched the shadow of the Moon. On April 8, 2024, during a total eclipse of the sun in Texas, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon. Floating more than 118,110 feet high, the locket spent 3 minutes and 45 seconds wrapped in lunar shadow:
You can have it for $199.95. The 18K gold-plated locket is inscribed with the words "I love you to the Moon and back," and opens to hold a personal photo or other small item. It comes with a greeting card showing the locket in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space during the total eclipse.
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