AUTUMN COULD BEGIN WITH A STORM: On Sept. 22nd (the northern autumnal equinox), a stream of solar wind is expected to graze Earth's magnetic field. Normally, this stream would not be enough to trigger a geomagnetic storm. However, during equinoxes, the "Russell-McPherron effect" amplifies small disturbances in the solar wind. As a result, a G1-class storm is possible. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
A RING-SHAPED SUNSPOT: Normally, sunspots are dark in the middle and bright on the outside. Sunspot 4220 is just the opposite. Frank J. Melillo of Holtsville, NY, photographed its ring-shaped structure on Sept. 19th:
"A very unusual pattern," notes Melillo. "It reminds me of when I cut a Kiwi fruit in half!"
Most sunspots appear dark in the middle because that's where they are cool. In a sunspot, strong magnetic fields block the flow of heat from beneath the sun's surface. The blockage creates a cool and relatively dark core.
However, the center of sunspot 4220 is not cool. Instead, it is hot and bright. Perhaps a bouyant plume of plasma is rising with sufficient force to push aside the usual magnetism, creating a hot core inside a cooler ring.
Whatever is happening, one thing is clear: Sunspot 4220 merits watching. Strangely-shaped sunspots with mixed-up magnetic fields are the ones most likely to explode. Astronomers, point your safely-filtered optics here.
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AMBER SPACE DRGONFLY: This dragonfly has touched space. On Sep. 15, 2025, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon, 101,148 feet above California's Sierra Nevada mountains:
You can have it for $169.95. Made of genuine Baltic Amber with a sterling silver exoskeleton, the rich Cognac-colored pendant measures 3/4 inch and comes with a matching 18-inch sterling silver chain.
The students are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the ornament in flight and telling the story of its trip to the stratosphere and back again.
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