SpaceWeather.com Archive — Thu, Sep 12, 2024

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NEW SUNSPOT EMITS X-FLARE: Earth-orbiting satellites detected a strong X1.3-class solar flare today (Sept. 12th @ 0943 UTC). It came from a new and apparently large sunspot emerging over the sun's southeastern limb. The sunspot is not facing Earth now, but it will be early next week, potentially targeting our planet with additional strong flares. Solar flare alerts: SMS Tex t

CME STRIKE SPARKS WIDESPREAD RED AURORAS: A CME hit Earth's magnetic field on Sept. 12th (03:50 UTC). It was debris from a dark plasma explosion on the sun 4 days ago. The impact sparked a G3 -class geomagnetic storm with red auroras deep inside the United States. Ross Stone sends this picture from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory near Big Pine, California:

"I looked outside at 3:30am and saw red in the northern sky," says Stone. "I hurriedly grabbed my camera and headed to the coolest place I could think of to photograph the aurora. It was a glorious sight under these beautiful radio telescopes."

The storm is subsiding now, but it could flare up again this weekend when one to two more CMEs are expected to arrive. See below. Aurora alerts: SMS Tex t

more images: from David Hull of Placerville, California; from Aaron Watson in the West Elk Mountains of Colorado

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TWO MORE CMEs ARE COMING: Active sunspot AR3814 is crackling with M-class solar flares. The fusillade of explosions has hurled at least two more CMEs toward Earth, shown here in a forecast model from NOAA:

The first and largest of the CMEs is expected to arrive on Sept. 13th, followed a day later by the second. These impacts should be effective because Earth's magnetic field is already vibrating from the strong (G3-class) geomagnetic storm of Sept. 12th. Another pair of CME strikes could extend the storm through the weekend. CME impact alerts: SMS Tex t

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"HAND OF APOLLO" STAR TREK CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT: You can't buy this on Amazon. The Hand of Apollo Christmas Ornament is only available from the Earth to Sky Store. On Aug. 15, 2024, it flew to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:

You can have it for $127.95. This ornament depicts the iconic opening scene from original Star Trek series episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" first aired in 1967. Near the planet Pollux III, the Enterprise was held immobile by an energy field shaped as a human hand. It belonged to a being claiming to be the Greek god Apollo. This will look far out on your Christmas tree this December.

The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space ornaments to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Don't wait for Christmas--get yours now!