ARCTIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: A minor CME left the sun on Dec. 21st. Forecast models show it could strike Earth on Christmas Eve. The CME is not potent enough to spark a full-fledged geomagnetic storm, but it could fill the Arctic Circle with auroras on Dec. 25th. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
STRONG SOLAR FLARE AND CME: New sunspot AR3932 erupted today, producing an M8.9-class solar flare, only percentage points from category X. NOAA's GOES-16 satellite recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash:
The flare produced a brief shortwave radio blackout over Africa and the South Atlantic. Ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal below 20 MHz between 1112 and 1142 UTC.
SOHO coronagraphs recorded a CME emerging from the sun less than an hour after the blast. The bulk of the storm cloud is heading south of our planet's orbital plane, but it might have an Earth-directed component. Stay tuned for updates in response to further analysis. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
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CHRISTMAS GIFTS FROM THE EDGE OF SPACE: Christmas is almost here! Are you looking for a far-out gift? Check out the Earth to Sky Store. It's filled with unique items that have flown to the edge of space onboard cosmic ray research balloons.
Carried aloft by giant helium balloons, these unique gifts have flown above 99.7% of Earth's atmosphere, experiencing space-like blasts of cosmic rays, extreme cold, and a wild ride parachuting back to Earth after the balloon explodes. Even Amazon doesn't carry items this far out.
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Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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