I eagerly look forward to checking spaceweather.com every day to see what is happening in the sky and in space around us. I have been watching with interest the little blurbs the author has written about the latest huge sunspot, along with the photos and movie clips he’s added. I was thrilled this morning to discover that the latest sunspot, has released an x-flare.
Sunspot 930 has just unleashed another big solar flare, an X3-class explosion at 0240 UT on Dec. 13th. In Huirangi, New Zealand, photographer Andy Dodson caught the spot in mid-flare: (photo on website) As a result of the blast, a radiation storm is underway. Based on the energy and number of solar protons streaming past Earth, NOAA ranks the storm as category S2: satellites may experience some glitches and reboots, but astronauts are in no danger. The explosion probably hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. (Confirmation from SOHO is still pending.) Sky watchers should be alert for auroras when it arrives on Dec. 14th or 15th.
So, sky watchers – check outside over the next couple of nights! You might get to see the aurora!
A great way to see what is happening in the skies above Alaska is The Aurora Live (NICT) live webcam. Now that our cable is working again (we were without it again on Monday/Tuesday for 24+ hours), I am able to keep the little window open all the time to see what is going on in the sky above Poker Flats, Alaska.
I know that part of my interest is because it is a way to experience the aurora again without actually being there. I have hope that one day Mel and I will be able to go back to Alaska in the winter. I will spend time once again outside in the cold, my heart and mind rejoicing while watching the heavens declare the glory of God. Until then, I will just continue reading about the aurora and watching it via internet.
