SpaceWeather.com Archive — Fri, Jun 21, 2024

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A NEW SOURCE OF FLARES: Growing sunspot AR3719 exploded on June 20th, producing a brief but intense M5.7-class solar flare. Radiation from the flare caused a 15-minute shortwave radio blackout over Hawaii. This sunspot was not expected to be very active, but now we know it adds to the chance of flares from behemoth sunspots AR3712 and 13. More on these below...

TWO VERY LARGE SUNSPOTS: Sunspots AR3712 and 13 are so large, they're altering the sunrise. "The two sunspots were easy to see as the sun rose in morning haze over Gulf Shores, Alabama," reports David J Kriegler, who took this picture at daybreak on June 20th:

Separately, each of these sunspots is about half as big as the great Carrington sunspot of 1859. Even half of a Carrington Event would be a historic solar storm, which is why we're carefully monitoring the two active regions. Both have 'beta-gamma-delta' magnetic fields that harbor energy for strong X-class flares. Stay tuned. Solar flare alerts: SMS Tex t

more images: from David E. Johnson of Joliet, Illinois; from Juan Manuel Perez Rayego of Merida, Spain

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COLLECTABLE STAR TREK ORNAMENT: No Trekkie Christmas tree is complete without The Arena Ornament. This rare Hallmark keepsake depicts the reptilian Gorn poised to deliver a death blow to Capt. James T. Kirk on the planet Cestus III. On June 14, 2024, it flew to the edge of space onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:

You can have it for $135.95. The ornament depicts a famous scene from The Original Series episode "Arena" first broadcast on January 19, 1967. Decades later, the Gorn have become main villians on the new Star Trek series Strange New Worlds, which we love!

The ornament comes with a Christmas card showing Kirk and the Gorn in flight, and certifying they have traveled to the edge of space and back again.