CME IMPACT COULD SPARK AURORAS THIS WEEK: A jet-like coronal mass ejection (CME) left the sun on Sept. 20th, and it might graze Earth's magnetic field later this week. Even minor CME strikes can spark geomagnetic storms. NOAA forecasters say this one could arrive on Sept. 25th, bringing a chance of bright Arctic auroras. Visit Spaceweather.com for the full story.
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Above: Auroras love equinoxes! At this time of year even a gentle gust of solar wind can spark bright auroras. Petra Schneider sends this example of the phenomenon (called the "Russell-McPherron effect") from Hamarøy, Norway. Browse the Realtime Aurora Photo Gallery for more examples.
