Auroras

NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft Captures Aurora’s On Saturn

March 28, 2012

Since the NASA / ESA Cassini-Huygens spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2004, astronomers and space scientists have been able to study the ringed planet and its moons in great detail. Now, for the first time, a team of planetary scientists have made simultaneous measurements of Saturn’s night side aurora, magnetic field, and associated charged particles. Together the fields and particle data provide information on the electric currents flowing that produce the emissions. Team leader Dr Emma Bunce of the University of Leicester will present the new work at the National Astronomy Meeting in Manchester on 27 March 2012. Generally,...

Sunspot AR1429 Sends Strong Solar Flare Hurtling Toward Earth

March 11, 2012

By Michael Muracco

Christopher Freemantle captured this image of the Northern Lights from Chena Hot Springs (just outside Fairbanks) in Alaska. The intensity grew until very bright, multicoloured and fast moving auroras were visible. This image was taken with a 4s exposure, Canon 600D, F2.8, ISO 800.

Sunspot AR1429 is still erupting this weekend. On Saturday, March 10th, it produced a powerful M8-class flare that almost crossed the threshold into X-territory. Space weather scientists use five categories — A, B, C, M and X — to rank solar flares based on their strength and severity. A-class flares are the weakest types of sun storms, while X-class eruptions are the most powerful. The eruption propelled yet another coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. According to a forecast track prepared by analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the cloud will hit our planet’s magnetosphere on March 12th...

Another Solar Flare Heads Directly For Earth

March 10, 2012

By Michael Muracco

Sunspot AR1429 has unleashed another strong flare, an M6-class eruption on March 9th at 0358 UT. The blast hurled a coronal mass ejection almost directly toward Earth. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME will arrive on March 11th at 0649 UT (+/- 7 hr). Strong geomagnetic storms and Aurora, (Northern Lights), are possible when the cloud arrives. The same eruption that hurled the CME toward Earth also produced a monsterous tsunami of plasma on the sun. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the shadowy but powerful wave rippling away from the blast site: The tsumani...

Major Solar Flares May Cause Intense Northern Lights Tonight

March 8, 2012

By Michael Muracco

A massive X-class solar flare spewed from the sun on March 6, 2012. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory observed the eruption, which looks like a sparkling diamond in this picture. CREDIT: NASA/SDO

A massive solar storm may spark an intense northern lights display for skywatchers at high latitudes on Thursday (March 8th) as a wave of charged particles reach the Earth. Two huge solar flares erupted from the sun late Tuesday (March 6th), triggering one of the most powerful solar storms in more than five years. The solar flares are expected to intensify aurora displays on Earth, according to space weather scientist Joseph Kunches, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Auroras are probably the treat that we get when the sun erupts,” Kunches told reporters. One of the big...

Incredible Video Of Aurora Borealis – The Northern Lights

February 6, 2012

By Michael Muracco

This incredible video of the Aurora Borealis – The Northern Lights, was taken in Norway by photographer Christian Mülhauser. “Last week I was again in Norway, said Mülhauser, for shooting northern lights. This time I was very lucky, there was a lot of activity on the sky especially on the 24 January. The scenes are from Ravnastua, Skoganvarre and Lakselv. The first two days I had a lot of trouble with frozen Cameras. It was -25°C (-13°F) and after 1-2 hours of shooting the lens was frozen. I used a Canon 5D MarkII with ML, a 7D and a 550D...

Aurora Borealis As You’ve Never Seen It Before

March 24, 2011

By Michael Muracco

Take 22,000 high-definition photographs, a geomagnetic storm and some incredible talent and what do you get? A two-minute video of the Aurora Borealis as you’ve never seen it before. The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo. Photographer Terje Sorgjerd braved -25 degree Celsius (-15 F) temperatures to capture this mesmerizing collection of photographs. Then, by assembling the 22,000 photos, he created a time-lapse video of the rich color and dynamic shapes of the Northern Lights that would normally be difficult to see. Adding the atmospheric Hans Zimmer/Lisa Gerrard song “Now We Are Free” from the movie Gladiator to the...

March 9th: Powerful Solar Flare Brings Possibility For Aurora Activity

March 10, 2011

By Michael Muracco

March 9th ended with a powerful solar flare. Earth-orbiting satellites detected an X1.5-class explosion from the large sunspot 1166 around 2323 UT, (6:23pm est). A movie from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a bright flash of UV radiation plus some material being hurled away from the Sun: A first look at coronagraph images from NASA’s STEREO-B spacecraft suggests that the explosion did propel a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. Though this conclusion is preliminary there is a strong possibility for Aurora activity. After four years without any X-flares, the sun has produced two of the powerful blasts in...

Strong X-flare From Giant Sunspot 1158 Could Mean Aurora Activity

February 15, 2011

By Michael Muracco

Strong X-flare From Giant Sunspot 1158 Could Mean Aurora Activity

Sunspot 1158 has unleashed the strongest solar flare in more than four years. The eruption, which peaked at 0156 UT on Feb. 15th, registered X2 on the Richter scale of solar flares. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded an intense flash of extreme ultraviolet radiation. X-flares are the strongest type of solar flare, and this is the first such eruption of new Solar Cycle 24. In addition to flashing Earth with UV radiation, the explosion also hurled a coronal mass ejection (CME) in our direction. The expanding cloud may be seen in this movie from NASA’s STEREO-B spacecraft. Geomagnetic storms...

A New Comet and Possible Aurora !

January 31, 2011

By admin

A comet discovered just a few days ago by amateur astronomers in Japan is gliding by Saturn in the pre-dawn sky. Comet Ikeya-Murakami (C/2010 V1) is not visible to the unaided eye, but observers say it is a fairly easy target for backyard telescopes. Images obtained over the weekend reveal what appears to be an outburst in progress. The comet’s coma (atmosphere) bears a striking resemblance to the coma of Comet Holmes, which famously exploded in 2007. After unleashing one of the brightest X-ray flares in years on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 6th, sunspot 1121 took Sunday off. No strong...

AURORA WATCH and an ASTEROID FLYBY

January 31, 2011

By admin

The solar wind is stirring up geomagnetic storms around the Arctic Circle. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras after local nightfall on Oct. 11-12th. Newly-discovered asteroid 2010 TD54 will fly by Earth on Tuesday, Oct. 12th, about 46,000 km above the planet’s surface. At closest approach, the 7-meter space rock will shine like a 14th magnitude star as it races through the constellations Pisces and Aquarius. Advanced amateur astronomers can track the flight of 2010 TD54 using this ephemeris. There is no danger of a collision. Related posts:Aurora Borealis As You've Never Seen It BeforeAsteriod 2005 YU55...