WAS THAT A CANNIBAL CME? (PROBABLY YES): A dense CME hit Earth on Oct. 10th. It was so dense, it might have actually been two CMEs. The technical term is "Cannibal CME." This is when a fast CME overtakes and "snowplows" a slower CME in front of it. Two closely-spaced CMEs left the sun last week; they may have merged en route to Earth.
When the suspected Cannibal struck on Oct. 10th, the plasma density around Earth jumped 10-fold to more than 100 protons/cc. The weighty blow caused an explosion of auroras spilling from the Arctic Circle to southern England:
"Conditions were perfect to see these auroras at latitude 52N," says photographer Ian Carstairs of Harleston, Norfolk, UK. "We had the right weather and no glare from the Moon -- very unusual."
At the time he took the picture, a strong (G3-class) geomagnetic storm was underway. It lasted for almost 6 hours, eventually fading as night fell across North America. Sky watchers in the USA saw only a faint echo of the initial outburst.
Now, in the wake of the CME, solar wind is blowing faster than 600 km/s. This could spark a minor G1-class geomagnetic storm with high-latitude auroras on Oct. 11th. By Oct. 12th we expect the storm to be completely over. Aurora alerts: SMS Text
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SHATTERED PLANETESIMAL METEORITE PENDANT: When meteorites land on Earth, they usually stay on Earth. This one went back to space. On Sept. 16, 2026, we flew this genuine iron meteorite pendant to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $278.95. Thought to be the remnant of a shattered planetesimal, the original meteorite crashed to Earth in northern Sweden where it was preserved in glacial ice. Jewelers mounted this polished spherical fragment in a sterling silver "planetary rings" frame.
You can tell it's real just by looking. The surface of the sphere is covered with Widmanstätten patterns--interlocking crystals of iron-nickel alloy that grew inside the core of an ancient planetesimal as it cooled over millions of years.
The students of Earth to Sky Calculus are selling space pendants to pay the helium bill for their high-altitude balloon program. Each one comes with a full-color greeting card showing the jewelry in flight.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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