GEOMAGNETIC STORM WATCH (G1): Isolated G1-class geomagnetic storms are likely on Jan. 28th when a stream of solar wind reaches Earth. The gaseous material is flowing from a small yet well-aimed hole in the sun's atmosphere. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
A MESOSPHERIC BORE AMONG THE AURORAS: Lots of unusual things were seen during last week's severe geomagnetic storm. Valther Jørgensen of Vivild, Denmark, photographed one of them--an aurora dune formation:
See the green ripples? There are at least 7 of them. Those are the dunes.
Aurora dunes are a recently identified form of Northern Lights named after their resemblence to ripples in desert sand. Researchers led by Minna Palmroth (University of Helsinki) first explained them in a paper published only a few years ago.
The dunes are a "mesospheric bore," a type of atmospheric gravity wave that springs up from Earth's surface and gets caught in a thermal waveguide ~100 km high. When solar wind particles rain down on the bore, they illuminate its rippling structure.
Sky watchers in the Arctic have been seeing dunes for years without understanding what they were. A breakthrough came on Oct. 7, 2018, when multiple groups photographed dunes from widely separated locations in Finland. Triangulation revealed the dunes to be ~100 km high with a pure, monochromatic wavelength of about 45 km.
This is a new field of study with potential for discovery. Monitoring aurora dunes might reveal additional waves and waveguides at the boundary between Earth and space. If you saw any last week, submit your photos here.
Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery
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"BEST WIFE EVER" TEA CUP FOR VALENTINE'S DAY: Tell your wife what you think of her with the "Best Wife Ever" Tea Cup from Space. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $134.95. The crystal glass cup is decorated with 3D pink and purple daisies. There's also a matching teaspoon! This romantic Valentine's gift comes with a greeting card showing the cup in flight and telling the story of its journey to the stratosphere. See also: The High Tea Cup.
Earth to Sky Valentine's 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. And, best of all, all sales support student science projects and STEM education.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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