A CME MISSES, SPARKS AURORAS ANYWAY: As predicted, a CME passed close to Earth during the early hours of April 26th. Despite the fact that the CME missed, it was still effective. Magnetic fields in the CME's wake connected themselves to Earth's magnetic field, opening a crack where solar wind could penetrate. The resulting G1-class geomagnetic storm ignited auroras over Canada:
"The sun was just about to come up when the auroras appeared," says photographer Tyler Harbridge of Leduc, Alberta. "There was a beautiful array of light before the morning sun took the auroras away. "
This could be the first of several CMEs on course for similar near misses this weekend. If the encounters are close enough, they may cause additional G1-class geomagnetic storms with auroras over high latitudes. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
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PARTING SHOT FROM A SUPER SUNSPOT: A colossal cluster of five sunspot groups is rotating over the western limb of the sun this weekend. German amateur astronomer Harald Paleske was watching its departure on April 26th when he caught this parting shot:
"It was only a small outburst, but it filled the camera chip on my Unigraph solar telecope," says Paleske. "The many months of adjustment work on the instrument have paid off and I am looking forward to the next few months of high solar activity."
So are we. Solar Max has arrived, and it is expected to continue for at least another 1 to 2 years. Not all of the outbursts Paleske catches will be "small." Stay tuned!
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TAHITIAN BLACK SOLAR ECLIPSE PEARL: It came from Tahiti, and now it has touched the shadow of the Moon. On April 8, 2024, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched this black pearl into a total eclipse of the sun over Texas. Riding on a cosmic ray research balloon, the pearl was 86,564 feet high when lunar darkness swallowed it for 3 minutes 45 seconds:
You can have it for $299.95. Measuring 9 mm in diameter, this genuine Tahitian pearl has an 18K rose gold clasp and is suspended from a matching 925 Sterling Silver chain. It comes with a greeting card showing the pearl in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space during the 2024 total eclipse.
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