A MINOR CME IS APPROACHING EARTH: An M1-class solar flare from sunspot 4236 hurled a CME into space on Oct. 3rd. A NASA model predicts it will strike Earth on Oct. 7th. Although it's only a minor CME, it could spark a geomagnetic storm thanks to the Russell-McPherron effect, which links the magnetic fields of the sun and Earth around the equinoxes. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.
THE PINK NITROGEN FRINGE: Pink is not an easy color for auroras to make. Nevertheless, Karsten Berger saw it twice this week from High Level, Alberta. Here it is on Oct. 2nd:
"The northern lights came out very early during sunset and turned bright pink," says Berger. "They didn’t stop shining for several minutes." Berger also saw pink two nights earlier in a display she called "the brightest auroras ever."
Pink is hard to make because it requires particles from the sun to penetrate unusually deep into Earth's atmosphere. Most auroras are green, a color that comes from electrons hitting oxygen atoms 100 km to 300 km above Earth's surface. Pink requires those electrons to burrow even deeper, below 100 km, where they can find molecular nitrogen. N2 produces the pink.
This "nitrogen fringe" appears only during strong storms with extra-penetrating particles from space. The 5-day geomagnetic storm of Sept. 28th - Oct. 3rd includes several episodes of suitably strong storming. Did you see pink? Submit your images here.
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CONSTELLATION CAT NIGHT LIGHT: 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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