A PUFF OF DARK PLASMA IS HEADING FOR EARTH: A filament of magnetism erupted on the sun yesterday, hurling a coil of cool dark plasma toward Earth. A NOAA model suggests it will arrive during the late hours of Sept. 10th. The impact could spark a G2-class geomagnetic storm with naked-eye auroras in northern-tier US states. CME impact alerts: SMS Text
FARSIDE EXPLOSION CAUSES RADIATION STORM: Protons are raining down on Earth today following an explosion on the farside of the sun. It’s an S1-class solar radiation storm. The farside blast hurled a magnificent CME into space, recorded by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO):
Shockwaves in the leading edge of the CME accelerated the protons and scattered them throughout the solar system–even toward Earth on the opposite side of the sun. Our planet’s magnetic field is capturing the particles and funneling them toward the poles, where they are causing a polar cap absorption event (PCA):
Within the red shaded areas, shortwave radio transmissions are blacked out. Frequencies below 30 MHz are most strong affected. Who cares? Pilots flying international routes over the poles may notice that onboard shortwave radios don’t work for the duration of their Arctic transit.
This radiation storm could last for another 24 hours or more. Stay tuned. Radiation storm alerts: SMS Text
SOLAR SAIL SIGHTINGS: NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) is circling Earth in full view of observers around the world. Zdenek Bardon photographed it cutting through the Milky Way over the Czech republic on Sept. 7th:
The brightness variations in Bardon’s photo confirm that the sail is tumbling. Believe it or not, this is intentional. The sail was unfurled on Aug. 24th without attitude control. NASA’s is learning how to maneuver a sail under these conditions. Soon, attitude control will be imposed for further testing. Until then, the sail’s brightness will vary from naked-eye invisibility to slow flares rivaling the brightest stars in the sky.
Would you like to see the solar sail? Local flyby predictions may be found on Heavens Above. Tip: Scroll down the website and look here for “ACS3.”
more images: from Gorazd Bizjan of Medvode, Slovenia; from Scott Tucker of Tucson, Arizona; from Ron Myers of Sacramento, California;
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