Space Weather News for August 16, 2002<br />http://www.spaceweather.com<br /><br />AURORA WARNING: Twisted magnetic fields near giant sunspot 69 erupted on<br />Friday, Aug. 16th. The explosion sparked an M5-class solar flare and<br />hurled a coronal mass ejection toward Earth. NOAA forecasters estimate a<br />25-30% chance of severe geomagnetic storms when the cloud<br />arrives--probably on Sunday, Aug. 18th. Sky watchers should be alert for<br />auroras.<br /><br />HEART-SHAPED SUNSPOT: Sunspot 69 is still big--many times larger than<br />Earth itself. On Friday it also looked remarkably like a heart. You can<br />see for yourself, but never look directly at the Sun. Use safe solar<br />projection techniques described at spaceweather.com.