INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES: A big sunspot is growing in the sun's northern hemisphere, adding to a proliferation of newly-forming spots around the solar disk. The uptick in sunspot number is producing a corresponding increase in the odds of a solar flare. NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of M-class flares and a 5% chance of X-flares this weekend. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
AS PREDICTED, A STRONG SOLAR FLARE: We thought sunspot 4114 might flare, and it did. On June 15th at 1806 UTC, the growing active region erupted with an M8.3-class solar flare (almost X-class). NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:
Radiation from the flare caused a shortwave radio blackout over North America. Ham radio operators may have noticed loss of signal at frequencies below 20 MHz.
The explosion also hurled a CME into space. Preliminary coronagraph images suggest that the bulk of the CME will miss Earth, sailing north of our planet. However, a glancing blow cannot yet be ruled out. Stay tuned for updates. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text
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'MYSTERY HALO' AROUND THE SUN: We've all seen a 22-degree sun halo. It's a ring of light that surrounds the sun on cirrus-cloudy days. Yesterday, June 14th, Dan Bush of Albany, Missouri, saw a mystery halo deep inside the usual ring:
"This solar halo was quite remarkable, says Bush. "Is the smaller halo real or just an artifact of the lens? I think it's real."
Indeed it is. The inner halo is an unusual 9-degree 'odd-radius' halo. This type of halo is caused by sunlight shining through pyramidal ice crystals, which are only rarely found in cirrus clouds. The common 22-degree halo is created by ordinary pencil-shaped crystals.
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CONSTELLATION CAT NIGHT LIGHT (CRYSTAL BALL): It's the most far-out feline night light ever--the Constellation Cat Crystal Ball. On April 23, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a giant helium balloon.
You can have it for $139.95. Outlined by stars in the style of an astronomical constellation, the laser-etched cat comes with an LED stand that produces a soothing glow for your bedside table. Also included: A unique greeting card shows the crystal ball in flight and tells the story of its journey to the edge of space.
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