SpaceWeather.com Archive — Fri, Jun 28, 2024

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CME STRIKE SPARKS SEVERE GEOMAGNETIC STORM: As predicted, a CME struck Earth on June 28th (~1000 UT). The impact sparked a severe G4-class geomagnetic storm, surprising forecasters who expected only a minor G1-class event. Daylight over Europe and the Americas hid a potentially dynamite display of auroras. The storm is subsiding now and should soon be over. Aurora alerts: SMS Tex t

NLCs ARE NOT BEHAVING AS EXPECTED: When northern summer began, the forecast called for few noctilucent clouds (NLCs). Frosted wisps of meteor smoke tend to melt away during years of high solar activity--and solar activity has been very high in 2024. Yet...

"This week's NLC display not only blew me away, but I would consider it within the top two displays I've ever seen in my life," reports longtime observer Martin McKenna, who took this picture on June 26th from N. Ireland:

"This was right up there with the jaw dropping displays I observed during 2009 when we had a deep Solar Minimum," McKenna says.

Other witnesses agreed: "It was easily the best display in years, and I've been observing NLCs for 60+ years," says John C McConnell of Maghaberry, N. Ireland. Kenneth Conlon of County Sligo, Ireland, described it as a "major outbreak, one of the strongest since 2019." These glowing reports came only two days after another outbreak of NLCs appeared over Paris, France.

What's going on?

It might be Tonga. The undersea volcano erupted in January 2022, hurling record amounts of water into the atmosphere. Yes, that was two years ago, but it takes about two years for the vapor to circulate up to the mesosphere where NLCs form. Water is a key ingredient for NLCs, so Tonga's moisture could be turbocharging the clouds

Noctilucent clouds over County Sligo, Ireland, on June 26th. Credit: Kenneth Conlon

Another possibility is SpaceX. Studies show that water-rich rocket exhaust boosts the abundance of NLCs. So far this year (Jan. 1st - June 27th), 124 rockets have been launched, mostly by SpaceX. That's 4 times the rate of launches during previous Solar Maxima. Quadrupling amount of rocket exhaust in the mesosphere might be enough to overwhelm the water and ice destroying effects of the active sun.

In the past 2 weeks alone there have been 7 launches worldwide. A notable launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket on June 25th immediately preceded the Irish outburst of NLCs on June 26th. Even leading experts aren't certain these events are linked mainly due to a lack of satellite data tracking the detailed circulation of water vapor in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

One thing's for sure: More rockets are on the launch pad, so we should remain alert for electric blue. Submit your photos here!

Realtime Noctilucent Cloud Photo Gallery
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THIS PENDANT HAS TOUCHED THE SHADOW OF THE MOON: On April 8, 2024, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched a cosmic ray research balloon directly into a total eclipse of the sun. This handmade pendant went along for the ride. Floating more than 118,110 feet above the path of totality in Texas, the necklace spent 3 minutes and 45 seconds wrapped in the shadow of the Moon:

You can have it for $149.95. Created by an artist in Texas where the balloon was launched, the pendant displays a solar eclipse art print sealed under a smooth glass cover. It comes with a greeting card showing the pendant in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space during the total eclipse.